Til Death Do Us Part
by lovelunarchron
Summary: After getting dragged to Las Vegas by her friends, Cress Darnel wakes up the next morning to find she accidentally married an ex-conman named Carswell Thorne. When their attempt to annul their drunken nuptials takes a turn for the worst, the newlyweds must learn to live with each other...for better or for worse. (What Happens in Vegas! AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Til Death Do Us Part**

 **by**

 **lovelunarchon**

* * *

"Time to go! Everyone get over here for one last group shot!"

Iko waved at them from the balcony. Cress, who had already been dressed and ready to go for the last half hour, gave a deep sigh and got to her feet. She wobbled on her strappy heels and nearly slammed into Cinder, who wasn't doing too well on her heels either, though they were at least two inches shorter than Cress's.

"I don't see the need for another photo," Cinder said. She pulled down on the short, slinky dress Iko had made her wear as she took precarious steps onto the balcony. "We've already taken about a hundred."

"And we'll take at least a hundred more before the night is over," Iko said, already throwing an arm around Winter's shoulders. "It's New Year's Eve in Las Vegas. This is going to be the best night of our existence."

Scarlet, who had gotten to choose her own dress, lined up on the other side of Iko. Her low-cut black dress made her chest look fabulous. Cress glanced down at her own barely-there chest, feeling just a little envious. Like Scarlet, she had also chosen her own dress, and just this time, she'd picked a plunging neckline that cinched above her belly button. It was the most scandalous thing she'd ever worn, but they were in Las Vegas and she would never see anyone she met tonight again.

At least, that was what she hoped. It would be just her luck to randomly run into one of her students' parents tonight. She was nearly 300 miles away from home but the thought had occurred to her already twice. A lot of people went to Las Vegas for New Year's.

"Cress! Get in the picture."

Cress slid under Cinder's arm. She was shorter than Cinder by far and it almost felt like Cinder was using her body as support to stay upright. They'd all had a few shots already, but Cress was pretty sure it was Cinder's heels impeding her balance. While walking was more difficult, Cress could at least _stand_ in hers.

"Smile!" Iko said.

With photos finished, they all shuffled out of the hotel room and found the limo that Winter had booked for them. It had been her idea for this trip, but with the cheap airline tickets and the prospect of the five of them having an amazing girls vacation, no one had been able to turn her down. The five of them had been friends since their junior year of college and it had been several years since they'd been able to travel together. Cress had been most more excited about the idea of going to a Celine Dion's show or one of the many performances. But after looking at all the prices for New Year's shows, they'd decided to just go dancing.

"So, I have a surprise," Winter said. She drew her shoulders up excitedly.

Cinder turned down the volume of the music in the back of the limo and regarded her cousin. "Can the surprise include not dancing?"

She had been the only one of the five who had not been in favor of dancing.

"Oh, stop it!" Iko said. She threw one of her many blue braids over her shoulder. "You look fantastic in that dress."

"That has nothing to do with me dancing," Cinder said into her champagne flute.

"It's kind of about not dancing," Winter said. "Since we weren't 100% sure what we wanted to do, well…an alternative option for the evening has turned up — free of charge!"

Everyone waited expectantly.

"Jacin got us surprise tickets to a VIP lounge. It's perfect because we can still dance and anyone who wants to sit it out"—she gave Cinder a pointed look—"can relax and still have a good time. Drinks are discounted there as well, so…it'll be fun!"

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "How did he do that? None of the places were taking reservations when we tried calling. They said you had to go in person."

"Well," Winter said, beaming, "it just so happens that Jacin is here in Vegas too!"

"Wait…" Scarlet frowned. "What?"

"This was going to be a _girls_ vacation," Cinder said with a groan. "No boys allowed."

"Except for the ones we're going to hook up with," Iko said. She raised her glass and Scarlet clinked it with a laugh.

"We're not hooking up with anyone, remember?" Cress said. "No boys allowed."

Cinder nodded. "Girls vacation."

"I'll tell you where the boys are allowed," Iko said. "And Cress, why are you wearing that dress if you don't want to meet anyone?"

Cress raised her head indignantly. "I wore this dress because it makes me feel more confident. Everything else I had in my suitcase made me look like a school teacher."

"Guys like naughty school teachers," Scarlet said.

"Come on," Cress whined. "Don't leave me all alone all night."

"It's only part of the night," Iko said with a snicker.

Cress gave Cinder a pleading look. "Will you at least stick with me?"

"Hey, Cress," Scarlet said. "We're going to stick with you, sweetie. It's just that we're also looking forward to meeting other people and maybe having a fling—"

"—or two—" Iko said.

"—while we're out here," Scarlet finished. "You should keep yourself open to possibilities. Maybe you'll meet your dream man tonight."

"My dream man is going to want a long-lasting relationship," Cress said with a huff. "He'll be into epic romances, not one-night stands."

"Way to be judgy, Cress." Iko downed the rest of her champagne glass.

"I'm not being judgy! I'm just nervous you guys are all going to leave me alone." She turned to Winter. "If Jacin is here, does that mean you're heading off with him too?"

Everyone in the limo booed.

"No, of course not!" Winter said. "Jacin's here purely coincidentally."

"Sure," Cinder said under her breath.

"He's here with his friends. They wanted to go to Vegas for the New Year too, so why shouldn't we meet up with them for a little bit?"

"Oh my word," Scarlet said. "You knew he was coming all along. That's why you planned this trip, isn't it? So you could have your midnight kiss with him?"

"No."

Even Cress couldn't deny that Winter looked like she was trying not to meet anyone's eyes.

"Can we please go to the VIP lounge just for the beginning?" she asked, turning to Cress and giving her a big smile. "I promise I'm not going to ditch anyone. We can hang out there a bit and those that want to dance can dance, and those that want to hang out and talk can talk! We were going to look for a club on the strip anyway. And if it's boring, we can leave. There will be good music and Jacin's friends and—"

"Jacin," the four of them chorused.

Winter's skin was dark enough that it covered up a blush, but she squirmed in her seat.

"All right, fine." Scarlet put her arm around Winter. "Truth be told, all of us were surprised that you agreed to come without him in the first place."

"But Winter's buying the first round of drinks," Cinder said.

"Did he say what club he's at?" Cress asked.

"The Lunar Palace," Winter said.

Iko squealed. "Ladies, I think our evening just got a whole lot more luxurious!"

* * *

The Lunar Palace was…not entirely a bad name.

Cress had seen a lot of impressive buildings and interesting statues in Vegas so far and the Lunar Palace didn't disappoint. There were levels to this club, and each one was decked out with a moon or star theme. There were thousands of hanging lights in shapes of the different phases of the moon on the level they were currently on and it looked like the most glamorous starry night Cress had ever seen. Strobe lights made everything a bit psychedelic — even the giant moon rocks that were carved out of ice around the floor. The floor was illuminated in pink, purple, and silver lights that came up in a fog to Cress's knees. Some people were wearing sexy alien costumes and other things that made Cress's eyes pop just a bit.

"And here we are," said the hostess, who had been very excited to find that Jacin's _esteemed guests_ had finally arrived. Cress wondered where Jacin had suddenly come into so much money, but she supposed he might've had it all along. His father was a high-ranking official in the military and Jacin had quickly followed him overseas right after the ROTC college stint was over. He had been back in the U.S. for almost a year now. Cress had no idea how much money that sort of thing made and didn't feel comfortable asking.

The hostess pulled back the curtain to a private area on top of the fourth floor. Cress had expected a few guys, but there was ample space inside the VIP lounge for dancing and even a private bar for the forty-some partygoers who were already in there. Her stomach knotted. Dancing in a huge crowded room was one thing when everyone around you was drunk and your girls were right next to you. This scene felt like a rich kid's high school party...where everyone scrutinized your awkward dancing.

Winter spotted Jacin and squealed with delight. As she ran at her boyfriend, Cress moved between Cinder and Scarlet. The three of them walked together while Iko strutted across the lounge to where Winter was already kissing Jacin.

Every few steps, Cress worried that Cinder might fall over, especially since she kept tugging on her dress as though she could make it longer. Cress had acquired something of a rhythm in her own heels, luckily. And she thought they made her legs look good.

Iko stopped when she had almost reached the half circle of couches where Jacin's group was. "Hang on." She pulled the girls into a huddle. "No one mentioned that Jacin had a harem of hot guys at his disposal."

The girls wiggled around a bit until everyone could see the guys. Cress tried to make herself smaller as the guys _very obviously_ noticed how the newly–arrived girls were _very obviously_ checking them out. Jacin was the only one who didn't notice — but that was probably because Winter was still wrapped around him.

"Let's see," Iko continued. "I call dibs on the Asian guy. Just one look at him and I'm all hot and bothered already." She tilted her head at the guy who had shaggy, straight black hair that went just past his ears. He _was_ very easy on the eyes, Cress had to admit.

"Are we already doing this?" Cinder said.

"What? You don't like him?"

"Iko, you can have whoever you want. I just didn't think you'd pick _literally_ the first guy you saw."

"This room is full of guys, Cinder. And I want that one."

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Go for it."

"If we're stuck in this lounge for a while," Scarlet said, "then I must say, the guy who looks Middle Eastern is way hotter than the guy you picked, Iko."

"Luckily both of you have very different tastes in guys," Cinder said.

"Look at him," Scarlet said. "He's all big and rugged and muscular. And those striking green eyes!"

Cress did look at him and had to gulp. Compared to her 5'0" she guessed he was close to 6'5". And though he was indeed handsome, there was something almost scary about him. He reminded her of the type of fathers that would come into her classroom for parent-teacher conferences and get mad about the smallest things.

"Cress, you don't want anyone, right?" Iko said.

"Um…"

"Cinder, that leaves white guy #1 and white guy #2 for you."

Cress tried to see who she meant but they were blocked by Winter and Jacin.

"Hang on," Cinder said, crossing her arms. "I know that guy."

"#1 or #2?" Iko said.

"I can't believe he knows _Jacin_ ," she muttered. "Oh…but I guess his dad is military too, isn't he? Hmm."

"Cinder, which one?"

Cinder pulled them all closer. "Okay, you know how there are, like, girl pacts in movies?"

Cress nodded.

Scarlet and Iko shook their heads.

"Well, whatever," Cinder continued. She pointed. Cress craned her neck. "See that guy with the brown hair? Not the one with the wavy hair and the thick eyebrows. The other one. With the square jaw and whole dimple thing going on?"

"White guy #2," Iko supplied.

"Technically with Jacin, shouldn't he be #3?" said Scarlet.

"That guy is trouble with a capital T." Cinder shook her head. "We should make a pact right now that no one hooks up with him."

"I mean, I can see the appeal," Iko said. "He's fine. But we're all spoken for."

They all turned to Cress. Her eyes widened. "I can't even _see_ him from here! And no, I'm not going to hook up with him. I'm not going to hook up with _anyone_. In fact, I might as well go back to my room and go to bed early because all my friends are ditching me for guys that we just met." She snatched an antennae hat off the tray of a hostess who was walking by them. They had little sparkly moons on the end of them. She put them on her head with an eye roll. "Happy New Year to me."

"Don't worry," Cinder said. "You can sit with me while Iko and Scarlet flirt. I'm going to be avoiding them as much as possible considering _Thorne_ is here."

"Yes, no need to be so dramatic, Cress," Scarlet said. "We're just being friendly. And look around—it's not so bad. All of us can hang out together. No one's going off on their own anytime soon. And we can go outside the VIP lounge anytime we want. So cheer up. It's the five of us together tonight." She glanced at Winter, who had finally broken apart from Jacin. "Or maybe just the four of us."

"Okay," Cress said. "Sorry. I just panicked a little. I don't want to spend my time talking to some guys when I could hang out with all of you."

"Of course, sweetie," Iko said, giving her a quick hug. "Now, let's go shake things up."

"And not hook up with Thorne," Cinder added.

Cress was now more than curious about this so-called Thorne. More importantly, she had rarely ever heard Cinder talk about a boy with such passion—passion of any kind, really—since she had known her. Cinder was also fairly mellow, so if he had done something to upset her, it must have been big.

The girls made their way over to the couches and greeted Jacin. He gave them all hugs as if they hadn't just seen him a few days ago at Winter's Christmas party.

"Guys, these are Winter's friends," he said. "Ladies, these some of my buddies, Kinney—"

The wavy-haired guy that no one wanted.

"—Ze'ev—"

Scarlet's muscle man.

"—Kai—"

Iko's pick.

"—and Thorne."

Jacin moved enough so Cress could finally get a better look at Thorne. And—

 _Oh._

If those weren't the dreamiest blue eyes Cress had ever seen…

Those blue eyes swept over Cress for just a second before they landed and stayed on Cinder. Thorne burst into a dimpled grin. "Get out! Cinder?! What the hell are you doing here?"

He jumped to his feet and pulled a stunned Cinder into a bear hug. The skirt of her dress nearly rose over her butt and she was immediately tugging down on it and trying to wiggle out of Thorne's arms.

"Happy New Year," she said stiffly.

"Aces, you really know how to put a guy in a time warp. Come here for a sec," he said, dragging her by the hand. "I want you to meet my buddy Kai."

Apparently he wasn't _that_ much trouble, because Cinder let him pull her down onto the couch, sandwiching her between him and the cute Asian guy. Iko took no time in rushing over there to claim the spot on the other side of him.

The big, muscular guy—Ze'ev—ambled over with two drinks. "Hi."

"Hi," said Cress shyly, but then she realized that he was addressing Scarlet, not her, who was standing right behind her. She took a step aside.

He offered Scarlet the second glass.

"I don't accept drinks from strangers," Scarlet said.

"Ah. Understandable."

She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "But you can accompany me to the bar if you like."

His eyes crinkled as he smiled. He was much less scary that way.

"Want to come, Cress?" Scarlet asked.

She wanted to—desperately—if only not to be left alone while everyone chatted with the various guys. But she also didn't want to be a third wheel. And Ze'ev already seemed interested in Scarlet. Why wouldn't he be? Cress wasn't going to be the night's spoilsport. This was only supposed to be for a little while, and then they would all leave to go dancing out in the club—hopefully just the five of them.

"That's ok," Cress said. "Maybe grab me something?"

Scarlet nodded and took off with Ze'ev.

Cress stood in front of the half-circle of couches for a moment, inspecting her nails. She had gotten a French manicure that afternoon with the girls just for this night. They fit well with the moon theme.

She regarded the couches again. It was like her friends had said. They were all together here, even if everyone was already busy chatting up someone new. She mustered up her courage and took a seat next to the only guy who wasn't already occupied—the one named Kinney.

She had no plans to do anything but talk, of course, and there was no reason not to meet new people, even if that was the exact opposite of what she wanted to do. He seemed nice enough, and he truly wasn't terrible to look at either. Winter was right on the other side of the couch with Jacin if she needed anything.

"Hello," she said brightly, "I'm Cress."

The guy jerked his chin toward her in acknowledgement, then moved to sit next to Jacin. He started talking to him and Winter about something.

Which was exactly what Cress should have done in the first place.

She grabbed a shot glass from the middle of the table and downed it in one gulp.

* * *

 _ **Note:** __You can guess where this is going by the title and description alone, so I'll make this quick. It's inspired by the movie What Happens In Vegas and it will also combine some charity date auction elements as a tribute to Marissa Meyer's "To The Gentleman In The Back" (though that's no longer the main focus). It will be very tropey as that's sometimes the best part of fanfiction. Unlike my other fics, I promise mostly rom-com fluff and no CNLG-like twists. :) As always, if you enjoyed and want to have more, please remember to review/follow. Fic writing is a lonely business without you all. Happy New Year!_


	2. Chapter 2

One hour and two shots later, the situation had not improved much.

At least not for Cress.

Everyone else was having a splendid time. Scarlet was dancing with the muscleman, Ze'ev, and based on the way they were looking at each other, Cress was fairly certain she knew who Scarlet would spend the rest of her night with.

Cinder had kept her vow of not dancing and had been engaged in a heated discussion with the guy named Kai since she had first taken a seat next to him. Though there were several topics that seemed to rile Cinder up, her shoulders remained relaxed and her legs were crossed towards him. He seemed thrilled that Cinder was spending so much time with him and often broke out into a brilliant smile — one that made Cinder smile shyly into her champagne glass.

Iko had given up trying to butt in and was now dancing with a cute blond girl not far from Scarlet and Ze'ev. Cress had danced with them for a little while but it had become clear that Iko wanted some quality alone time with the girl. Winter and Jacin were at least trying to include Cress in their conversation with Kinney, but Cress found their friend's snide comments so intolerable that she was only feigning interest.

Cress looked around and sighed. It really wasn't a terrible set up for New Year's Eve. She just couldn't seem to get into it. Maybe it was her own fault for not being open to a fling. Still, there was a slight sting of jealousy when she thought of her friends having fun hooking up tonight. If she had already met her dream man, she would be spending her evening having deep soul connections with him instead of trying to make shallow conversation with strangers.

Or she could be hanging out with her girls, which was _supposed_ to be the plan for tonight.

Cress grabbed another shot and told Winter, "I need a breath of fresh air. I'll be right back."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Winter asked.

"Yeah, you shouldn't go anywhere alone," Cinder said, suddenly paying attention.

Cress regarded her friends, thinking that this was the perfect time to implement her number one New Year's resolution: Be more assertive.

But Winter was snuggled on Jacin's lap with his arms around her. He had flown all the way out here just so he could see his girlfriend for New Year's Eve. Who was she to ruin that? And Cinder's leg was now pressed against Kai's. Or was Kai's leg pressed against hers? It didn't matter. Cinder was never interested in anyone. If Cress made her get up now, maybe she would be ruining her chances.

"That's okay," she said. "I'll be fine. It's just a few minutes."

"No way," Cinder said, getting to her feet.

"I can go with her."

Cress startled at the male voice behind her and turned to find none other than Dreamy-Eyed Trouble standing right behind her. He had left their group quite quickly after introducing Cinder to Kai, and she had caught glimpses of him dancing with different women from time to time.

He stuck out his hand. "I don't think we've been officially introduced. I'm Carswell Thorne, but most people just call me Thorne."

"Cress Darnel. Hi." She shook his hand quickly but turned back to her friends. "And thanks, but I don't need a babysitter."

"Oh yeah, Thorne, don't worry about it," Cinder said, putting down her champagne glass and smoothing out her dress. "I'm going with her."

Cress did not miss the way Kai looked at Cinder and then sent a pleading look to Thorne.

Thorne's hand came to rest lightly on the small of her back. She jumped as he whispered, "So, this is awkward, but Kai is trying to tell me that he wants some alone time with your friend. He thought she was cute from the first second we saw you five strut in here. It looks like he's made a little progress. So if you think she's at all into him, can you tell her that you're fine going with me? I'd love to do my buddy this solid."

"What are you whispering to her, Thorne?" Cinder said. She pulled Cress away from him and now she was the one whispering in her ear. "Remember what I said about him? Trouble with a capital T. Don't let him smooth talk his way into your pants."

"Cinder!" she hissed.

Cinder downed her champagne. "I'm serious."

"Are you having a good time with Kai?" Cress asked Cinder, making sure that no one could hear them.

Cinder looked at him very obviously but turned her head when she caught Kai looking right back at her.

"You like him," Cress said. "And he clearly likes you. I think you should stay here and keep talking to him. Meanwhile, those of us who _aren't_ interested in anyone are going outside to get some fresh air."

Cinder smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Cress. I kind of do like him…yeah."

She turned to go sit back on the couch but Cress grabbed her by the elbow. "Wait. Thorne's not a creep, right? That's not what you mean by trouble, is it?"

"Oh, no. No, no. He's just a total womanizer."

"Did something happen between the two of you?"

She snorted. "He wishes."

"Okay, then it's settled." She remembered her New Year's resolution. "But when I get back, I want for all of us to dance. Together. Like we said we would."

"Of course," Cinder said, but she was already moving towards Kai.

Dreamy-Eyed Trouble gave her a dimpled grin when she joined him. "Shall we?" he asked, holding out an elbow.

She didn't take it.

* * *

"Kind of a drag in there, huh?" Thorne leaned against the outside wall of the club, watching partygoers pass in and out of The Lunar Palace. He had his hands in his pockets and one ankle crossed over the other. He nodded his head at the club. "The VIP lounge, I mean."

Cress stood next to him, trying not to make eye contact for too long with Dreamy-Eyed Trouble's dreamy eyes. _Ugh_. This guy was totally her type physically. Why did the hot ones always have to be bad?

She smiled politely. "Not the night you were hoping for?"

"Your buddy invites you to Vegas for New Year's, you don't imagine spending it in a lounge with everyone's girlfriends. No offense. I was expecting a bit more action tonight."

"I bet you were."

He was silent for a moment. "No problem, though. The night's still young."

"We should probably get back," she said.

He gave her a once-over. "You don't look like you want to get back."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

"No, tell me."

"Alright." He waved at her body. "Your shoulders are scrunched, your muscles are taut, and your face is all pinched together. An amateur could think you're just annoyed to be standing out here with me. But me? I'm a connoisseur. You've been displaying that annoyed body language since the moment you waltzed into the VIP lounge." He put his hand back in his pocket. "Won't hurt you to relax a little, darling."

Cress narrowed her eyes. "And I suppose you'll offer to help me relax?"

He just laughed.

Cress hated that she loved his dimples when he did. Dreamy-Eyed Trouble, indeed.

"How do you know Jacin?" she finally said, trying to let her shoulders droop a little.

He shrugged. "Our fathers are both high-ranking military officials."

"Are you in the military?"

He laughed again. "That I am not."

"What if we staged an intervention?" Cress said, suddenly applauding her own brilliance. "You want to hang out with your bros—"

"Bros?" His eyes twinkled. "You're a trip."

"You clearly want to hang out with your bros," she continued, as if he'd never interrupted her, "and I want to hang out with my girls. Let's figure out a way to get the group to separate."

Thorne wagged a finger. "I'm not getting in the way of my buddies having a good time."

"But you admitted it was a drag too."

"Sometimes you take one for the team." This comment seemed to amuse him immensely.

"You mean for Kai?" Cress said.

Thorne just smiled mischievously at her. Cress smiled back, but only because she knew that both Thorne and Kai were delusional if either of them thought Cinder would be up for a one-night stand. And if Kai was only looking for that, he would find out soon enough.

"Hey."

A woman who was in line for The Lunar Palace gave Thorne a sultry gaze. He gave her the nod.

She left the line and snaked an arm around him. "Meet me on the dance floor?"

"Sure thing," Thorne said as Cress rolled her eyes.

The woman giggled and rejoined her friends, waving for Thorne to join as she stepped into the club.

Cress gestured at the entrance. "Go on, then."

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm fine by myself, really. Go after the girl."

"I don't want to go after her."

"You just agreed to dance with her."

He waved away her comment.

She scoffed. "You lied?"

"Should I have told her that I find her thoroughly unattractive and ruin her night instead?"

Cress furrowed her brow. Thorne returned his gaze to the passersby, every now and then craning his neck to look at one particular woman or another.

"What about those women?" she said.

"What about them?"

"You said you were hoping for action. Don't let me stop you."

He gave her an amused look. "I wasn't talking about that kind of action."

"No?"

"I don't have a problem picking up women. No need to come to Vegas just for that."

She studied his body again. Of course she knew he didn't _need_ to come to Vegas to pick up women with a body like that. But it seemed off with what Cinder had said about him. Womanizers were usually found around _women_.

"Of course, if the opportunity presents itself…" He grinned a little roguishly. "It is called Sin City for a reason."

Cress swallowed thickly and tried not to focus on the way that particular grin made her legs feel like noodles. "Then what did you mean? Surely you weren't referring to the Celine Dion concert when you said _action_."

She peered up at him, almost daring to believe he might say that yes, he too was an aficionado for concerts and performances and magic shows.

"Gambling, Cress."

Right. Gambling. Of course.

"A night out gambling with your boys. I see. They, um, sure deviated from that plan, huh?"

"The night's still young," he repeated.

"So, what is it you do exactly?" Cress asked. She wished she had another shot, though she'd probably already had too many. She really needed to get something to eat or she'd pass out before the clock even struck midnight. "For a living?"

"I'm in finance. You?"

"I'm a sixth-grade teacher."

"You're a teacher? No way."

"No way?"

"You're way too cute to be a teacher. I mean…" He nodded appreciatively at her dress. A small thrill went through her as he did. "All of my teachers were frumpy and grumpy."

Cress had to giggle. "I'm sure they already say that about me. At least the frumpy part." She couldn't imagine being grumpy around her students, even if they often acted like little brats.

"Nah. I bet all the boys have crushes on you." He winked. "Miss Darnel."

"That's so inappropriate."

He grinned. "As thirteen-year-old boys tend to be."

"Most of them are eleven."

"Even worse. Eleven-year-old boys worship sexy teachers."

He winked again and Cress had to look away. She stared at her strappy heels. Why did he have to be so damn hot?

"Cinder warned you about me, didn't she?"

Her eyes stayed down. "Um, I'm not sure what you mean."

"No?"

Cress mumbled something, sure her cheeks were turning red.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I wasn't hitting on you or anything. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Her eyes snapped up. He was still smiling, but through closed lips.

"Sorry. I guess I'm not really good at reading people. You said I was cute, and then the sexy teacher thing turned me around."

"Don't get me wrong, the dress you're wearing is _definitely_ sexy. Good choice with that one. But Cinder would have my balls if I ever tried anything with one of her friends."

Cress stifled a laugh, but despite her best judgements, her mind was kind of whirring at the fact that Dreamy-Eyed Trouble found her sexy.

"There are few people I don't dare cross," he continued, "and Cinder is one of them."

Cress wondered what kind of hold Cinder could have on him, especially when Cinder hadn't made their relationship sound amicable in the least. "I've honestly never heard of you. And I've known Cinder six years."

"I'm not surprised. We go way back, but it's been a while since we've seen each other."

Her phone vibrated and Cress checked her messages. It was Scarlet.

 _Where are you? Don't think I didn't see you leaving with Cinder's bad boy. Do you need an intervention? Should we ditch these little boys and find some real men?_

She grinned, a heavy weight lifting off her chest.

"I'm going to head back to the lounge," she told Thorne. "But I'm still curious about Cinder. How do you two know each other?"

He waved her forward conspiratorially. Cress stepped closer.

"We were in prison together," he whispered.

Cress started laughing, almost hysterically, and had to fan herself to calm down. She grabbed his arm. "Oh my stars, you're killing me."

Thorne only smiled, highly amused at her response to his joke.

"Okay, okay," she said, still trying to catch her breath, "You'll have to tell me the real story some other time but right now I just want to get back inside. I'm starving, though. Can we grab something to eat that we can bring back?"

He chuckled. "Those little hors-d'oeuvres on a stick not quite cutting it?"

"They look like they cost thirty dollars to make but taste like they're worth fifty cents."

He shook his head as he showed the back of his hand to the bouncer. Cress did the same.

"There's supposed to be a larger selection of food on the 8th floor where the slot machines are," Thorne said.

"Ooh, I love slots," Cress breathed.

He quirked an eyebrow. "It seems we have something in common."

"I'm actually really good at gambling, card games, and the like," she said proudly.

"Do you tend to be lucky?"

"No, I'm good at them because I'm a genius."

This seemed to catch his attention. "A genius?"

She nodded, feeling no need to be modest. "Highest IQ of my graduating class. Super good at math and probability and computers."

"Oh?"

They stepped back into The Lunar Palace and the bass music tore through her eardrums. She wobbled on her heels when someone passed her but Thorne steadied her. Dreamy-Eyed Trouble was nice, in the end. And now that he'd established his intentions as purely platonic, she could relax around him. It had been sweet of him to accompany her outside, even if his intentions had been to help Kai get with Cinder.

The strobe lights made everything a little chaotic but the music gave Cress the energy she had been lacking outside the club and in the VIP lounge. She bounced a little on her feet and sang along to the music. Thorne stayed at her side and together they wove through dancers towards the center of the crowded dance floor, where there was more space to move by the ice sculptures.

"This is the biggest dance floor I've ever seen," Cress said, gazing around in wonder. It really was beautiful in there. She needed to get her friends out of the boring VIP lounge. "It's so crazy in here."

She absentmindedly ran her hand through her hair and connected with plastic instead. She had forgotten she was still wearing the dumb moon antennae headband. Sighing, she reached up to take it off.

A pair of smooth, warm hands encased hers from behind. "Leave it. It adds a little something extra."

Cress stared up at him.

"New Year's Lunar Ball and everything," he said, pointing at the sign by the entrance, which displayed those exact words.

"Okay," she said, adjusting the headband and smoothing down her hair. "All set."

"Do you want to dance?" Thorne said. But he didn't look like he was asking for her to dance with him, just if that was her mood in general.

She shook her head, feeling her antennae moons bounce. "Food."

"Then it's back into the wild," he said, pointing towards the elevator at the far end of the club.

"After you," she said.

She followed him through the dance floor, glad that he was at least a foot taller than her and sturdy enough not to get knocked over. She didn't mind checking out the way his back looked either.

When they made it to the elevator, Cress's ears were ringing from the music.

Thorne pushed the button for the 8th floor. "Say, if you're not in a terrible hurry, could I get your insight on a game?"

"What game?"

"Poker, blackjack, slots…whatever."

She peered up at him. He was trying to smile innocently.

"You mean, because I'm a genius?"

His lips quirked into a barely restrained smirk. "Couldn't hurt."

The doors opened to the 8th floor. The Lunar Palace's casino floor unfolded in front of them. Slot machine after slot machine greeted them, preceding the various interactive gambling that one could partake in.

"I can't guarantee you'll win anything," she said.

"I'm already quite lucky on my own. With your wits and my luck, I think I could start the night off right."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"In exchange for your time," Thorne said, keeping the elevator door from shutting and gesturing for her to exit, "I'd love to offer you a drink and whatever food your heart desires, of course."

Cress stepped out of the elevator. She needed food anyway. And if he paid for it, that was all the better. She could munch on something while she gave him a few tips.

"Ten minutes, that's all I ask."

She regarded Dreamy-Eyed Trouble. "Ten minutes it is."

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! Excited for Cresswell to tie the knot? Lol. Please review :)_

 _PS: Code Name Lunar Gift update is up next!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Wow, it was such a hassle getting this chapter up! I had it written earlier but FFN has been acting up all week and not letting us upload new docs or chapters. (Is anyone able to read this? Is it working lol? Ahh). I hope you enjoy the chapter if it's working and take the time to leave a review if you do. :)  
_

 _PS: What's that I hear? Wedding bells in the air? ;)_

* * *

"He's bluffing," Cress whispered to Thorne. Her voice was so low that she had to cup her hand around his ear for him to hear her. They were so close to winning that she didn't want to risk the other players overhearing them. Her heart was beating out of her chest with nerves.

His expression didn't change as he considered her words. Cress had learned that Thorne was incredibly good at bluffing himself, even when his luck hadn't dealt them the cards they'd wanted in earlier rounds. They were hunched over their cards, having decided it was easier to team up and play together than to constantly pass the cards back and forth. Their legs were pressed together, as well as their sides. Their heads almost touched as they observed the cards.

"Are you sure?" Thorne had cupped her ear now; his breath tickled her skin. "He has won a few rounds."

The man across from them — the only one not folding — smirked at them. He took another shot, then offered a glass to his companion, a busty woman who was sitting on his lap. A small crowd had gathered around their table to see the exciting game of Royals unfolding in front of them. The man had just raised them double the money that Cress and Thorne had won so far—$25,000—so they had a chance of taking home $50,000 if they could just make the right decision right now.

$25,000 with more than half of what Cress's annual salary was. She wanted to walk away but she also knew that she could win this game. The more she sat next to Thorne, the more she absorbed his extreme confidence. She _was_ smart enough to win. She _had_ calculated everything correctly. Thorne's intuitions had been spot on all night.

He had been right. They did make an amazing team.

Now she just had to believe in herself like he believed in her.

Cress turned to whisper back. "But that was when doubles beat the house. Triplets beat the house this time. And we've got triplets."

"I don't know about you, but I think I'm more than ready to be a parent."

She drew back. "W-What?"

His poker face gave way to a smile. "Triplets, Cress," he whispered.

"Ohhh. Right."

This time when he pulled away, his finger trailed lightly down her neck. An involuntary shiver went through her.

"Alright," Thorne said, his face once again stoic. He took the cards, put them face down on the table, and threw an arm around Cress. "My associate and I are in."

The crowd around them _oooh_ ed.

Cress watched the man's smirk disappear into annoyance. The woman on his lap turned to whisper to him. While they went back and forth, Thorne ordered more shots for the two of them. As promised, he had been paying for them, as well as for whatever food Cress had desired, even though she had already won a bit of her own money at the slot machines. And though she had initially been hesitant about being roped into playing a game of Royals, she was so glad that she had agreed. She had forgotten how much fun something as simple as a card game was.

"To you," Thorne said, raising his shot glass in the air, his arm still around Cress. "For helping out a desperate man."

Cress giggled. "To you, for…" She thought hard, enjoying the way his eyes twinkled as he waited for her to make her toast. "For being exceptionally good company."

"You're not so bad yourself either, darlin'."

Cress went to clink their shot glasses together but Thorne said, "Wait, wait. We should do that thing where you link arms while you're drinking for good luck."

"Is that good luck? Isn't that what people do when they're getting married?"

Thorne raised a knowing eyebrow. "Who needs more luck than those who are about to get married?"

Cress thought about arguing, as marriage shouldn't be about luck but about commitment and love, but she found herself giggling at his words again instead. "Well, _we_ need more luck," she said.

"Don't tell them how bad our cards are," Thorne stage–whispered, his voice so loud the whole crowd could hear him. "We wouldn't want them thinking we're bluffing. Now, are we drinking or are we drinking?"

Before Cress could respond, he had linked their free arms together and was tipping the shot back into his mouth. Cress did the same, wincing only a little at the burn that went down her throat with it.

"I'm more of a champagne person," she admitted.

Thorne set his shot glass on the table and pretended to snap his fingers in the air for a waiter. "Garçon? Deux _champagnes,_ s'il-vous-plaît."

Cress swatted his hand away. "Champagne is a French word already, so you don't have to pronounce it like an American."

"Sacre-bleu! But what eez zis?! Ze genius speaks _fran_ _çais_? Oh la la!"

His smile only grew as he watched her laughing at his ridiculous impression of a French accent. When she had composed herself, she said, "Do you speak French for real?"

"Not enough to know if my desire for champagne would be understood. Do you?"

"A bit. I was born in Canada."

" _Oh_ ," Thorne said, sounding delighted, "so you're a genius _and_ exotic. You get hotter every second."

The crowd laughed as Cress blushed. Dreamy-Eyed Trouble was growing hotter every second too, but she would never admit that. She was having a hard time remembering what he was supposed to be trouble about anyway. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, and he hadn't hit on a single girl for the entire duration of their time on the gambling floor.

"Ahem."

Across the table, the man sneered at them.

"If you're done flirting, can we get on with the game?"

Thorne sat back in his chair, his arm still draped lazily over Cress. "We're waiting for you, old man."

"I'm going to call your bluff," he said. "Let's see your cards."

Cress sucked in a breath. Thorne's hand tightened against her arm, the only sign that he was nervous too. Very slowly, he flipped over each card individually.

"Triplets beat the house, baby," Thorne said smugly.

As the man stared impassively at their cards, all the breath whooshed out of Cress. He wasn't flinching, and the only reason for that could be that he actually had better cards himself. But what could he have? Triplet aces? She had seen at least two aces go by, hadn't she?

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Cheaters!" the man burst out, throwing his cards face down on the table and jumping to his feet. The busty woman tilted forward and landed face first on the table, scattering all the chips. "They must have cheated!"

Thorne jumped up too, his hands scrambling to find the man's cards before the woman made a mess of the entire table. Cress was frozen in her chair, trying to figure out where they had gone wrong. But Thorne raised the man's cards in the air and yelled, "WE WON!"

The crowd around them went crazy. Thorne had his hands in the air with the brightest smile she had ever seen lighting up his dimples and dreamy eyes. The man was still screaming that they had cheated, going so far as to call over an attendant, but Cress forgot what was happening when Thorne pulled her out of her chair and lifted her into the air.

"We won! Cress! We won $50,000!"

He twirled her around, hugging her so tightly that the air left her lungs for a completely different reason. He lowered her after a moment, her body sliding down against his until she was standing up, looking straight into those gorgeous blue eyes. He was all grins. "You are my favorite person in the world right now. I think I love you more than I've ever loved any woman." Cress broke into a smile at his excitement.

"We really won? Are you sure?"

Thorne nodded, giving her cheek a stroke so quick she almost missed it. He stared down at her, and for a moment she thought he might kiss her. It wasn't an unpleasant thought.

"You're my lucky charm, Cress." he said softly, then grabbed her hand, raising it in the air with his. "$50,000 to the dream team!" he yelled in victory. "Who's signing our checks? And someone bring us some champagne for the lady!"

* * *

"I still can't believe we just won $50,000," Cress said as they stumbled out of the elevator to go back to the VIP lounge. She had looped her arm around Thorne's for support. The champagne had been a little much, even she could tell with the way her body felt ridiculously warm. But they had just won $50,000.

Thorne couldn't stop grinning either. "Once we get our checks it'll be more like $40,000 after taxes. But aces, you don't hear me complaining!"

"I really don't want to go back in there," Cress said, stopping abruptly in front of the curtain. She beamed up at him. "We should go gamble again. It was way more fun."

He looked thoroughly tempted. "You know, they say that if you win, you should quit while you're ahead."

"True."

"And it's almost midnight. We should celebrate our win!"

Cress nodded eagerly. "I want to dance. I've been wanting to dance _all night_." She pouted. "But they're just in there trying to hook up with boys."

"Who?"

"Scarlet, Winter, Iko, and Cinder. You know, _Cinder._ " Cress giggled. "You were in prison together." The thought of Cinder in prison made her laugh almost hysterically.

Thorne cracked up too.

Cress loved his smile.

She liked the way he smelled too, all musty and clean and amazing.

They both eyed the curtain.

"I'm a good dancer," Thorne said. "I have awesome moves."

Cress looked up at him. "You look like you do."

He peered down at her, a devilish dimple in his cheek. "I know."

They stared at each other, both still glowing from their win.

"You deserve to do what you want tonight," he finally said.

"I want to dance."

"Then you should dance. Come on." He dragged her to the railing and pointed down at the floor below them. It was the alien-lunar-strobe light floor. The lights made Cress a little dizzy, but the music invigorated her. "I'd dance with you," he said.

"It looks crazy down there."

"It's Vegas, darlin'. It's supposed to be crazy."

She gripped his arm. "Would you really want to dance with me?"

Thorne's eyes drifted over her, lingering on her legs. "Are you going to be wearing that dress?"

Cress looked down at her dress. "Yes?"

He put both hands on her waist and pulled her close. "Then I definitely want to dance with you, gorgeous."

Her heart melted at his words. "You think I'm gorgeous?"

He grinned a little loopily. "I already told you, you're smart, exotic, and look sexy as hell in that dress."

"Thanks," she said, growing shy. She couldn't believe that he was attracted to her too. She had no doubt he was an amazing dancer, and how often did she get to dance with someone who looked like him? "I think you're quite, well, dreamy yourself."

He laughed. "Did you only just notice that?" He held out his hand. "One victory dance coming up."

Cress took it, delighted by the warmth she felt as he led her back to the elevator. She pulled out her phone as they waited for it to descend, letting her friends know that they could find her on the dance floor if they wanted to join.

* * *

They made it onto the dance floor just as "I've Got a Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas came on the speakers.

"I love this song!" Cress said.

"Me too," Thorne said.

" _Tonight's gonna be a good night_ ," Cress sang—along with everyone else on the dance floor. _"Tonight's gonna be a good, good night!_ "

"It already is a good night," Thorne said in her ear, then dragged her out onto the floor.

It didn't take long for them to get into a rhythm, which mostly consisted of jumping around with the throng of people around them and screaming the lyrics. They were packed into the dance floor like sardines, and normally Cress would've felt too crowded, but Thorne stayed right in front of her, never taking his eyes off the way that she moved. Cress was having trouble looking away as well. Even though they weren't quite dancing, it felt like they were both in on a secret together amidst the crowd.

The song changed, and so did their moves. There was less jumping, and more swaying. Thorne was beyond smooth, as she'd predicted, and she tried to match his cool confidence. For a moment, she got nervous and wished she was with her girls, but when he danced around her like he was her very own personal tease, Cress forgot everyone's name but his.

When the music finally died down, the DJ yelled into the mic, "Are you ready for the new year, Las Vegas?"

As everyone cheered back, a projection on the wall of the club showed a giant countdown. Thorne spun Cress around so she was facing the DJ. He remained behind her, a hand barely pressed to her waist, his fingers almost at the part of her dress where her plunging neckline cinched together. Despite the fabric separating them, his fingers burned her skin beneath it.

"Let's ring her in together!" said the DJ.

The countdown began, alternating numbers with colored strobe lights. Cress and Thorne joined in with everyone else. "10…9…8…"

Cress squealed. It was almost midnight. She was $25,000 richer. She was in Las Vegas with her friends. She was in the arms of a dreamy-eyed, gorgeous man.

"7…6…5…"

"Here we go!" Thorne yelled with a loud whoop.

"4!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Happy New Year!"

The countdown burst into fake fireworks on the screen. The room erupted into cheers. All around them confetti dropped from the ceiling and noisemakers blared through the room and—

Thorne spun her around and dipped her lower, lower, lower, his hand steady and supporting.

Then he was kissing her.

The rest of the dance floor became a blur. Thorne's lips were gentle and coaxing. She fisted her hands into his dress shirt and kissed him back, letting him know with her lips that she wanted this too.

Just as quickly, it was over. He pulled her back up delicately.

She smacked him in the face with her moon antenna balls.

Cress's hands flew to her mouth. "I'm so sorry! Oh my stars, I'm so sorry!"

He winced then rubbed his cheek with a laugh. "It's my fault. I told you to keep them on."

She pulled her headband off, still embarrassed.

He pried her fingers away from the moon antennae headband and put it on his own head. "There. Now it won't get in our way."

He made a silly face, shaking the moon balls around and shimmying toward her. She couldn't do anything but laugh.

* * *

"I'm parched," Cress said.

Without a word, he danced them over to the bar. The pink, purple, and silver tinted fog on the ground was thicker there, and Cress got caught up in the way it curled around her ankles.

Thorne ordered two shots.

"I don't want any more," she said with a shake of her head. She just wanted to drink up another one of Thorne's kisses. "I need water."

"I'm happy to drink yours," he said after he'd ordered her some water. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back with a look of pure joy gracing his features. "I still can't believe we _won_. I mean, I can, because I'm usually lucky. But this lucky? It's been a while and I'm basking in my victory."

 _Oh, yeah. The money!_ She grinned, thinking about all the money they had won. That was even better than kisses. She could on a vacation…redecorate her apartment…buy shoes that didn't hurt her feet…update her classroom décor…maybe even buy a car that didn't need repairs every few months.

Thorne passed Cress her water and held up both his shots. "To you, again. My lucky charm."

"You were lucky too," she said, but her body felt warm with the way he kept flattering her.

Thorne threw back his shots and raised the empty glasses in the air. "What a night, Cress. What a _night_!"

He was right. And it wasn't even the money. Her night had really turned around, from boring and nerve-wracking to fun and exciting. And she had made it happen for herself. The new year was off to an excellent start. She eyed Thorne with a bite to her lip.

"You know what? Get me another shot too."

Thorne gestured for the bartender. "Well, if you're having another, I'm having another too."

* * *

Cress was loving every second of dancing with Thorne. She could feel the tone between them change with every song, growing more sensual and intimate. They were always touching in some way: fingertips brushing, hips bumping, hands grazing flirtatiously.

Something heady in Thorne's eyes made Cress's toes curl. He took her hands and spun her until she was faced away from him, and in no time her back was pressed against him. He brought both of their hands to rest against her stomach, drawing her closer, his arms holding her steady against him. His fingertips brushed the bare skin above her navel, but they stayed put. She leaned her head back on his chest and closed her eyes.

"I like this," he said, lowering his lips to her ear.

He moved his hips, but just barely, bringing the two of them into a slow rhythm that didn't match the music. She held onto his hands holding her, relished the heat of their bodies, the way his arms around her felt protective and right. It was just the two of them together, enjoying the feel of the other.

Every so often, his cheek brushed against hers.

He had no stubble. Cress liked that. She reached behind her, one hand coming up to stroke his smooth skin. He kissed the inside of her palm.

Cress couldn't take it anymore.

She pulled his head down and twisted her head up. His smooth, warm lips were more frantic this time, and she matched his movements kiss for kiss, tongue for tongue, hip for hip. Her fingers curled through his hair. His hand slipped underneath the fabric of her dress and gripped her bare waist, keeping her tightly pressed to his body.

Soon, they were grinding against each other shamelessly. Cress's neck was growing stiff, but she was enjoying herself so much that she turned around and found his lips again. His hands went to her hips instantly.

After a while, Thorne pulled away, panting, but the rhythm of their bodies kept up, not willing to follow their mouths. His hair was mussed up and his eyes were dazed. He blinked rapidly before licking his lips. "Do you want to go somewhere more private?"

Cress's heart thudded in her chest, though it was hard to believe that that was even a question. Of course she wanted to go somewhere more private. Going somewhere more private meant that she could explore more than his lips. There was something small that nagged at her, telling her that she probably shouldn't. This wasn't something she did often—or ever—but maybe that needed to change. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been so attracted to someone.

"I don't know," she said.

Thorne nodded, though he looked like he was trying to shake off some of his lust. "Sure, no problem. Do you want to keep dancing instead?"

Cress put her arms around his neck. "No, I do want to go somewhere with you. But there's no place to go. I'm sharing a room with Cinder, and she's probably hooking up with…that man."

Thorne looked like he was having trouble remembering the man's name too. "Oh…Kai?"

"That's right. Him." She whispered, "It's probably not a good idea if we're in there at the same time…if you know what I mean." She threw her head back and laughed. Then she kissed Thorne again, because he was so sexy and sweet and wonderful and man, did she wish that Cinder _wasn't_ using their room right now.

Thorne groaned and pulled away again. She wished he would stop doing that. "I, uh, have my own room," he said. "If you want to go there."

She nodded fervently.

* * *

Cress didn't think they'd make it to his room. The hallway was too long and there were too many doors and she just couldn't get enough of Thorne.

"I can't remember my room number," Thorne said while Cress kissed her way up his neck. He pulled out his key card and stared at it. "Do you see a room number?"

Cress inspected the blank white card with the hotel name on it.

"No," she said, closing her eyes again and breathing in the intoxicating musk of his cologne.

"What are we going to do?"

They stared at each other.

She giggled.

He laughed.

"I guess we try all the doors until we find the right one."

"That's no fun," Cress said.

He wrinkled his nose. "I know."

"It would be more fun if you weren't wearing your tie."

Thorne blinked. "But I look sexy in my tie."

"I look sexy in my dress, but that's coming off too."

He looked around scandalously. " _Now_?" he whispered, his eyes wide.

Cress giggled again. "No, but it can when we find your room."

He all but melted against her, his lips devouring hers. Thorne pressed her against the wall, lifting her whole body up. She felt the strong, lean muscles in his back.

"I think I'm in love with you," she said with a blissful sigh.

He let out a low moan. "I think I'm in love with you too."


	4. Chapter 4

_Note: So, email alerts still aren't working...at least not on my side of things. Sorry about that but nothing I can do until FFN fixes it (Ugh!). Please check my page for updates and/or my tumblr under the tag "my fanfics." I also updated Code Name Lunar Gift last week when the glitch was still happening. Hope you enjoy this chapter! - LLC_

* * *

Thorne could count on one hand the number of times he had been truly uncomfortable in his life. But as he stared down at the silver wedding band on his ring finger, he didn't think any of those times could compare to this.

Very carefully, he pried Cress's hand off his chest and inspected her ring finger. A weight dropped into his stomach at the sight of the diamond ring sitting there. Upon closer scrutinyi, he found it was not a real diamond. But it was there on her ring finger just the same.

 _No._

 _No way._

They had just decided to buy each other rings, that had to be it. No, better: they had bought themselves rings. Won them in one of those arcade games. No big deal.

With shaky hands, he awkwardly placed her hand at her side and rolled away from her as quietly as he could. The room reeked of sex, booze, and leftover food. Light seeped through the curtains of the hotel window—too much light. He had to hold his hand in front of his eyes as he sat up.

The room swayed. Sparks dotted his vision. His forehead pounded.

 _Aces_. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so hung over.

He also couldn't remember where his clothes were.

He glanced back at Cress to make sure she was still sleeping. While her hair had been cute yesterday, it now resembled a magpie nest that had been mauled to death by a cheetah. Drool leaked out of her mouth. A purplish-blue bruise was sporting at her jawline. Had he really given her a _hickey_? How embarrassing. He remembered both of them getting a little carried away, but—

 _Focus._

Thorne got to his feet, every muscle in his legs aching as much as his head. He had to put his hand on the wall to steady himself as he stumbled about the room looking for his clothes. _Stars_ did he need a coffee.

He stepped on something sharp and almost cried out, muffling his voice just in the nick of time. He snatched the offending object off the floor. Cress's moon antenna headband. He placed it on the nightstand and tiptoed around the utter mess that was his hotel room. There were open bottles and food containers and articles of clothing scattered everywhere.

But at least there was no wedding dress.

He found his boxers on the mini fridge— _the hell_?—and his pants not far away from them. He fished inside his pockets. In the first pocket was his cell phone.

 _JANUARY 1, 2018. 12:47 P.M.  
2 new messages._

Thorne did a double-take. _12:47 PM?_

He ignored his messages and reached into the other pocket. His hand closed around his wallet and a crinkled piece of paper. The weight in his stomach grew exponentially. He pulled out the paper, his heart thumping against his sternum. He unfolded it very, very slowly.

His heart nearly stopped.

 _CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE_

 _This is to Certify that_

 _Crescent Moon Darnel And Carswell Thorne_

Thorne couldn't read any more of it. His eyes snagged on his signature on the bottom—clearly his scrawl. He stuffed the crumpled marriage certificate back in his pants and swore, then bit down on his tongue to not wake up Cress. Picking up his pants, he made his way to the bathroom, pulling at the ring until it came off. Looking at it was making him dizzy.

He tripped over a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries, squashing one of them with his foot in an attempt to stay quiet and sending two half-eaten ones rolling across the floor. He hopped on one foot into the bathroom.

Had they ordered room service? Brought food back? He didn't remember that part. He remembered coming back to his hotel room, eager to seal the deal with Cress. He remembered most of that part. They weren't married then. Why had they left the room again? Why hadn't he just fallen asleep like after every other one night stand? Why had he gotten _married_?

He closed his eyes, trying to remember anything, but his head pounded at his temples. He eyed the shower eagerly—that could make him feel better. He sniffed his armpits. And smell better. But Cress could wake any minute, especially from the noise of the shower.

He was not ready for this conversation.

Thorne dipped his head toward the basin of the sink and splashed some water on his face. Cress had been fun, sure, but _marriage_? A wave of nausea rolled over him as he vaguely remembered something tangled in with the throes of passion. Something about epic love and connection and why didn't they do this _every_ night and if they could only _vow_ to always love each other—

"Oh shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit."

He stuck his entire face under the faucet until the nausea passed.

But his stomach churned with unease as he wiped his face dry. What if Cress woke up excited to be married? Aces, what if she thought she _loved_ him?

He scrambled to zip up his pants and left the hotel room immediately. He didn't even bother going back into the room to find his shirt. He could buy one in the souvenir shop.

First he needed coffee.

And then he needed reinforcement.

Maybe both at the same time.

He pulled out his phone. Thorne was already in the elevator by the time Kai answered.

"Kai! I need your help. I'm in trouble."

There was a pause at the other end while Kai said something to whoever he was with.

"Are you in jail?"

"Aces, no. Not trouble like that."

"Well, thank the stars for that. I—"

"Listen, are you in the hotel?"

"Yes, I—"

"I need you to meet me. Can you come down to the restaurant?"

"I've just had a nice brunch."

"So don't eat. Just get down here."

"I'm actually with someone—"

"I'll see you in five minutes," Thorne said. "Don't bring whoever you're with."

* * *

Kai wouldn't stop laughing at him.

"Frankly, I'm a little offended you didn't invite me to your nuptials."

"Shut up."

"I still can't believe you got _married_. Can you imagine telling your parents? They'll think you knocked her up!"

Thorne scowled. "That's not funny. Not at all. If I was drunk enough to get married, I was drunk enough to be irresponsible."

Kai's smile faltered into alarm. "Were you? Do you remember? Serious question."

Thorne stabbed at his sausage patty, his face growing warm. But it was something he was still slightly worried about himself. "The room was a mess. So much so that there was…evidence…to suggest we're good on that front."

Kai patted him on the back. "That's a relief. Kids are a lot harder to undo than marriages."

"Would you stop joking about this?" He pointed at the marriage certificate. "You're a lawyer. Can I just burn this document and pretend it never existed? Obviously neither of us meant to get married. Who's to know if we never tell anyone?"

"Uh…the government. The IRS. Your parole officer."

"Ex-parole officer."

Kai took the document from him and smoothed it out on the table. "This is a legally binding document. The only option you have right now is to talk to your wife and annul the marriage. Unless you want to go for divorce, which means your wife could claim some of your financial assets. I doubt you want that, despite what little you have."

"Don't call her my wife. And, for your information, we won $50,000 playing Royals last night. She's not getting a penny more than her half. Annul this. Now."

Kai shook his head. "You usually have to do in the state where you're from with a judge. Is she from California too?"

He chewed a piece of bacon in thought. "I think so. She's friends with Winter."

"Wait." Kai's brow crinkled. "Which friend?"

"Her name is Cress. Actually, 'Crescent Moon.' It says it right there." He pointed at her name on the marriage certificate.

Kai's eyes widened. "Crescent Moon is _Cress_?"

Thorne raised an eyebrow. "Yes. She was the blonde girl I accompanied outside so you could hit on Cinder." He pointed his fork at Kai. "This is all your fault. I only came to Vegas because of _your_ friends. And if I hadn't been trying to help _you_ get some, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. Please tell me you got some."

"We did spend the night together, but not like that."

"Not like what?"

"We didn't hook up. We talked in the VIP lounge until it closed, then we went on a walk, and then we went back to her room. But we just stayed up talking all night. We had brunch together this morning too. Best night of my life, really." He beamed.

Thorne groaned. "Are you telling me that I got married to a complete stranger so that you could spend the night _talking_ with a woman?"

"She's an incredible woman." The tips of his ears turned pink. "I mean, we kissed. But Cinder made it clear what her expectations were of the night and I respected that." When he saw the look on Thorne's face, he said quickly, "Anyway, I need to call her. She and her friends were really worried about Cress. Cinder called her so many times while we were together. Cress texted at one point that she'd met someone and was planning on spending her evening with him. But then she didn't respond anymore. They all thought that maybe she'd been drugged or abducted or something."

"Do her friends even know her? She likes to party. And she was clearly too busy to answer her phone." Thorne downed his second cup of coffee and shook his head. "I may not remember everything about last night, but I do remember that we were both into each other. I mean, we were both wasted, looking back on it now, but I didn't force anyone to do anything, if that's what you—"

But Kai was already picking up his phone and dialing someone. "Hey, you." Kai broke into a dopey smile. "I'm good, how are you?" He laughed. "I know, I know, it's only been thirty minutes since we saw each other…Ha, well, you wouldn't be wrong. After last night, I can't stop thinking about—" He caught Thorne's look and cleared his throat. "Listen, I'm actually calling for a different reason. Remember how I said that Thorne had an emergency so I had to go meet him? Well, I'm here with him now and, uh, I figured out where Cress is. She's okay, first of all."

Thorne drew his butter knife across his throat in a mock cut. Kai nodded, seeming to get the delicacy of the situation, which made Thorne wonder if Cinder had mentioned him at all during their late-night chats.

"Yes, see the thing is, she was actually with Thorne last night. All night it seems."

"WHAT!?"

Kai had to hold the phone away from his ear as Cinder shrieked. Thorne cringed. He had forgotten about Cinder's friendship with Cress. She was going to be as thrilled with his matrimony as he was.

"No," Kai said, "she's not with us at the restaurant. She's still in his room. Thorne left while she was sleeping."

There was more yelling from Cinder, but her words were less distinguishable this time.

"Hey." Thorne scowled at Kai. "Don't make it sound so heartless. I was in distress."

Kai put his hand over the mouthpiece. "She wants to know your room number."

"Doesn't she want to know which hotel?" he muttered.

"We're staying at the same hotel. Jacin booked our rooms here so he could be near Winter."

Thorne rolled his eyes. "I'm on the 56th floor. Room 17B. But I really doubt she wants to go in there."

Kai repeated the information and Cinder promptly hung up.

"Cinder is so amazing," Kai said after a time. "I can't believe you didn't introduce us earlier."

"When was I supposed to do that? I haven't seen her in years."

"How do you two know each other?"

"She didn't mention me?" _Come on_.

Kai laughed. "We had better things to talk about than you."

"Or she didn't want to talk about me because we met in prison."

Thorne smirked as Kai choked on his water. "Cinder was in prison?"

"Maybe you don't know your dream girl as well as you think."

The tips of Kai's ears turned red again. "I really like her, Thorne. I'm going to see if she wants to meet up again when we're both back in California."

"Can we focus on me? I need to get out of a marriage that I don't want to be in. What if Cress wants to stay in it? What if she tricked me into getting married while I was drunk? What if she's after my half of the $50,000?"

But as Kai started talking lawyer-speak, Thorne could barely pay attention. His temples still pounded, despite the coffee and water he was copiously drinking. The fatty bacon was doing nothing for his hangover either.

He couldn't believe this. Just last night, he had believed himself to be one of the luckiest SOBs out there. _$50,000_. Sure, he knew he have to split it halfway, but twenty-five grand was still a ton of money for him to win. And now he'd possibly been seduced by a money-grubbing gold digger.

But that was easier to sort out than someone who had wanted to marry him _for real_.

He rubbed his finger nervously against the ring in his pocket.

Now that Cinder was involved, he knew it wouldn't take long before she showed up at the restaurant with Cress. Which meant he'd have to face her — along with his mistakes — before he even had a clear mind.

One thing was for certain: he had to handle this delicately. What did he really know about this girl, after all? After last night, he felt he knew her quite well, at least in certain ways. But everything he could remember clearly was before they had tied the knot.

He just had to play it cool and be his smooth, charming self.

And by this time next week, he would once again be a single man.

A single man who was $25,000 richer.

* * *

 _Please review._


	5. Chapter 5

_Bang-bang-bang._

 _"_ Cress! Are you in there?"

 _Bang-bang-bang_.

"Cress!"

Cress jerked awake, her heart thudding out of her chest.

Her head hammered with an unrelenting headache.

 _Bang-bang-bang. Bang-bang._

"Just a minute!" she called, though she was having trouble placing the familiar voice. She couldn't figure out what was happening, either, as she couldn't see. Her contacts were plastered to her eyeballs in that horrible, left-them-in-while-sleeping way. She peeled them off and reached for her nightstand to get her glasses.

She knocked something over instead. Cress squinted close to the nightstand until she realized that there were no glasses and this was definitely not her nightstand.

She was also naked.

 _Bang-bang-bang_. "Are you alive?"

"Stop banging," she moaned, rubbing her throbbing temples. "I'm coming."

She tried to collect her thoughts. She was in Vegas, she was here with her girls, it was New Year's, she was in her hotel room…

Cress grew suddenly dizzy.

She was not in her hotel room. Not if her glasses weren't here. And she vaguely remembered—

But that meant—

 _Oh stars._

"Thorne?" she whispered.

When no one answered, she felt with her hand next to her for a warm body. But no one was in bed with her.

She wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing.

She wrapped a sheet around her body and fumbled her way to the hotel room door, holding on to the wall when her bare feet ran into random objects on the ground. She wasn't tall enough to reach the peep hole, and without her glasses there was no use in looking anyway. "Who's there?" she called.

"It's Cinder! Are you okay? We've been so worried about you."

Cress opened the door, sure her face was beet red.

"Oh my _stars_ ," Cinder gasped. "You're wearing a sheet! You have a _hickey_! You—you had a one night stand!" She cleared her throat. "I mean—hi."

"Hi," Cress mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed. "Can you stop talking so loudly? My head hurts." But then she realized what Cinder had said. "Wait, did you say I have a _hickey_? Where? I can't see anything!"

Cress tried to make it to the bathroom but tripped on something squishy and skidded, then slammed into the wall, nearly losing her sheet. Cinder came into the room and closed the door behind her. She handed Cress a case. "I brought your glasses when I found out where…" She trailed off as Cress put on her glasses.

With returned sight, Cress saw Cinder take in the room, her jaw dropping open. Even Cress had to blink twice at the hurricane of clothes, food, and drink that littered the room. And the squishy thing she'd stepped on? A trampled chocolate-covered strawberry.

Cinder's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my stars, is that a…? N-Nevermind, don't answer that. It's—um—I—" She rubbed her neck awkwardly.

Cress wanted to die.

"Well," Cinder said feebly, "someone had a good night."

Her cheeks burned.

"Don't get me wrong, nothing to be ashamed about." Cinder kept rambling. "Except, well, that it's _Thorne._ And I need to cleanse my mind after the disturbing images this room is giving me regarding him and my best friend." She looked up at the ceiling.

Cress put her head in her hands. "Cinder, I…I barely remember anything about last night. One minute we were gambling, then dancing, then kissing, and I….I'm sorry for sleeping with your friend." They were words she'd never imagined saying to anyone, let alone Cinder.

Cinder waved her hand. "Oh, what's done is done, it was more for your own protection anyway. And I blame him, of course. He left before you even woke up, so…there's that."

"How do you know he left?"

"Kai called me to tell you he'd figured out where you were. He's in the restaurant with Thorne."

"Kai…called you?" Cress was trying to process everything was saying despite the pounding at her temple. "You mean, Thorne's hanging out in the hotel and…and left me alone in his hotel room?"

No cuddling, no goodbye kisses, no morning coffee lovingly brought to her bedside.

Cinder's eyes softened as she regarded Cress. "Oh, sorry….if you were into him, I mean, um…I tried to warn you. I guess you can tell what kind of caliber of a man he is now."

Cress's heart hurt a little at the thought of Thorne waking up and not even bothering to say goodbye, but she was more embarrassed than anything, having Cinder see her in this morning-after state, having clearly been abandoned by the random man she'd hooked up with. But a feeling worse than embarrassment swept over her. A horrible, wrenching wave of nausea hit her at the core. She sprinted into the bathroom and just barely made it to the toilet.

Cinder flipped on the light and squawked at the sight of the bathroom, but Cress could only heave and wretch. Her best friend sighed and knelt, trying to hold Cress's hair off her face while she emptied her stomach over and over.

"That's it," she said, "get it all out." She rubbed Cress's back. "I'm going to kill Thorne, by the way. How much did he make you drink?"

She shook her head weakly. "He was a perfect gentleman."

Cress sat back shakily, leaning her back against the bathtub. He was a perfect gentleman for all the parts that Cress could remember, at least, but that wasn't much. Some of her clothes were here in the bathroom with her, and she couldn't remember how they'd gotten there. There was also a random piece of cake on the sink, and she didn't remember buying cake at all.

She remembered wanting to go back to his room so bad that it had consumed her, but now that she was hungover and sitting in his bathroom, she couldn't fathom how it had gotten that far. She hadn't wanted to hook up with _anyone_. She'd just wanted to dance with her girls.

She felt at her neck. She did remember Thorne's lips on her neck, and the way he'd—

Cress hung her head. Thank the stars she was on the pill.

"I don't think I can throw up anymore."

Cinder rubbed her back some more. "Well, let's get some water in you. Preferably…in our room." She wrinkled her nose. "Cress, it smells so bad in here."

"Don't remind me. I should shower there too. I don't want to be here by myself if he comes back."

"Of course! The girls were on their way over when I left. Let's find your clothes."

Cress ran her hands through her hair to make sure she didn't have any vomit in it.

Cinder gasped.

Cress turned her head, trying to see her hair. "What? Did it get in my hair?"

Cinder shook her head quickly, her face paling. Her jaw opened and closed several times.

"What?!"

"Um…what's that on your ring finger, Cress?"

Cress looked down at her hand and screamed.

* * *

"You need to calm down," Scarlet said. "This is no big deal."

They had all gathered on Cinder's bed. Unlike Cress, they were all showered and ready for the day. The most she had managed was some aspirin and coffee.

"If you actually got married, you just get it annulled. People get married by mistake in Vegas all the time."

"Not me!" Cress squeaked. "I _cannot_ be married."

"And you were mad at _us_ for wanting to meet guys last night," Iko said. "You didn't even invite me to your _wedding_."

"Not helping," Cinder said.

"It could just be some stupid ring you got," Scarlet said. "Didn't you say you won a lot of money?"

"But I remember that. I didn't have a ring then."

"So Thorne bought you a cheesy ring."

"Maybe you're engaged," Winter said.

Cinder snorted. "Thorne, engaged? That'll be the day."

"You keep talking about him like you know him," Cress said, "but you've never mentioned him. How did you guys meet anyway?"

Cinder played with the corner of her bedspread. "Uhh...we worked on a project together my first year of college."

"He went to UCLA with us?"

"No, no. It was outside of college. A volunteer thing."

"Oh. Well, at least he cares about others. That's sweet."

"...Right."

"He told me you met in prison." Cress giggled. "He does have a great sense of humor."

"Yeah...Thorne's, uh, hilarious," Cinder said quickly.

Cress remembered something else. "When we were in the VIP lounge, he told me he wanted to accompany me outside because Kai liked you and wanted some privacy."

The girls _awwwed._

"What did I miss?" Cress said. "Did you hook up with Kai in the end?"

"They stayed up all night talking," Scarlet said with an eyeroll.

Cinder flushed. "The conversation came really easy. We didn't agree on everything but it was like...breathing fresh air?" She gestured at the room. "We ended up in here but we just watched old cable reruns, ordered room service, and talked about everything under the stars."

Cress was a little jealous at the way Cinder's eyes went a little dreamy. She was happy for her friend, but that was the type of night she had wanted for herself: deep soul connections with her dream man.

Iko sighed. "Cinder, you're like the G-rated version of all of our nights."

"We kissed too…"

"PG rating then," Iko said.

"He asked me to see him again when we get back to L.A." Cinder played nervously with the bedspread. "I gave him my number but…I mean, what if it's too good to be true?"

"You should see him," Cress said.

"Yeah, go for it," Scarlet said.

"It's just…he seemed different, you know? For one thing, he's not an ableist jerk. He barely looked at my prosthetic hand the whole night. He asked about it, sure, but not in a jaw-dropping, 'you're a freak' kind of way like most people."

Cress glanced at Cinder's prosthetic hand. She was so used to it that she always forgot other people considered it out of the ordinary. "I'm glad you met someone special," she said.

Her eyes went back to the shiny ring on her finger, the overwhelming sinking feeling in her stomach returning. If only she had met someone special too.

Cinder said, "I was thinking, Cress…can we not joke about the prison thing in front of Kai?"

Cress looked up. "Okay?"

"It's just he's a lawyer, and like, I don't want him to get the wrong idea about me."

"Can't he handle a joke?" Scarlet said.

"It's fine," Cress said. She could tell how much Cinder wanted to impress Kai, even if she couldn't admit it herself. "I don't see why anyone would bring that up again." She looked at her friends with a grimace. "Anyone else maybe get married last night?"

Scarlet laughed almost deliriously. "I didn't have time. My man kept me occupied all night long."

Cress flushed at her words, trying to imagine if Scarlet's room looked the same as Thorne's.

"Was it the Middle Eastern man?"

"Ze'ev," she said. "And he's an American citizen. His grandparents are from Iran and Greece."

"So you did have time to talk," Winter said, poking Scarlet in the side.

Scarlet only smirked.

"I stayed over with Jacin," Winter said.

"Of course," the girls chorused.

"What about you, Iko?" Cress said. "You were dancing with a blonde girl when I left, I think…"

"Emilie," Iko said. "She's French, but I don't kiss and tell."

"Oh please, that's all you do," Scarlet said with another eye roll.

"I can tell you that I almost got on a plane with her to go back to France this morning," Iko said with a grin. "But if I had left I wouldn't here to help Cress plan her honeymoon!"

Cress cringed. "Please don't joke about it. I don't even know him."

"You know him according to the Bible," Iko said.

Cress hid her face under the covers.

"There's only one way to find out, sweetie," Scarlet said.

"I'm not ready," she mumbled.

"I can call Kai and ask," Cinder said.

Cress peeked her head out of the covers. "That could work."

Scarlet grabbed the phone from Cinder. "No way. You're not going to find out if you got married via _Cinder's_ new beau."

"You said it was no big deal!" Cress said.

Scarlet crossed her arms. "You still spent the night with the guy."

"And he left me in his hotel room!"

"So kick him in the balls when you see him."

Cress disappeared under the covers again.

A hand patted her head. "It's okay, Cress," Winter said. "We'll go with you."

She gulped. "Can we at least call Kai and find out if he's still with Thorne?" she said miserably. "I don't even have his number."

* * *

Cress peeked into the restaurant. Thorne sat at a table by the window with the good-looking Asian guy from last night—Kai, she reminded herself. The guy who had spent all night talking to Cinder. Cress still couldn't help her jealousy, even if in her opinion, Thorne was better looking than Kai. What did good looks matter if they walked out on you the next morning? And though she remembered a few fun details about her night with Thorne, everything she didn't remember made her body tingle with dread.

"They're both so hot," Iko said.

"Is Thorne wearing a T-shirt with the hotel's logo on it?" Winter said whimsically. "It looks like that one over there, in the gift shop."

"He doesn't look that hot," Scarlet said. "He looks like he woke up and _bolted_."

Cinder played with her ponytail. "Maybe it's not such a good idea to see Kai again so soon."

"Nonsense," Winter said. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you."

"Maybe Kai and I aren't such a good idea."

"Guys, can we focus?" Cress said. "Please? I think I'm going to pass out."

"Everything will be fine," Scarlet said. "You _did_ say you wanted a long-lasting relationship."

"I didn't mean—"

"And Thorne definitely looks like he can last long," Iko said.

Cress wanted to die as her friends snickered.

But she had gotten herself into this mess, and she knew it wouldn't go away if she didn't confront it. She was supposed be more assertive this year, but somehow this wasn't the type of assertiveness she had pictured when she'd originally written down that New Year's resolution.

Iko linked arms with Cress. "Let's go, sweetie."

Cress pulled away though. "Let me do the talking, okay?"

Iko huffed but nodded.

Together, Cress made her way into the restaurant with her girls. It didn't take long before Thorne and Kai noticed them. Their chatter stopped.

Kai got to his feet, practically beaming. "Cinder! Hey! Wow, you look amazing."

"I look amazing too," Iko said with a pout.

"Oh—of course," Kai stuttered. "Hi, ladies."

Cinder put her hands on her hips with a glare, though, ignoring Kai. "Hello, Thorne."

Thorne slowly stood too, a guilty smile on his face, his hands up innocently in the air. "Now Cinder, before you get mad—"

But Cress grabbed Thorne's hand. "Oh stars, look you guys!" She held it up for everyone to see. "No ring!" She started to laugh, relief spreading over her entire body, and told Thorne, "You'll never believe this, but I had a ring on this morning and…" She trailed off as her eyes snagged on something on the table.

 _CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE_

 _This is to Certify that_

Thorne made a sound like a laugh—an uncomfortable one. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring.

Cress froze.

"Ahh, they're really newlyweds!" Iko squealed, snatching up the paper.

Winter clapped excitedly.

"Interesting," Scarlet said with a glare. "You forgot your wife this morning."

"Explain yourself," Cinder said, her arms crossed.

Thorne paled as much as Cress turned red.

Kai just stood there, suddenly looking supremely uncomfortable himself.

"Um, Cress, could I speak with you in private?" Thorne said.

She nodded quickly and ran away from the group until she was back in the hotel lobby. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she was so, so dizzy. This was real. She had married a complete stranger last night.

And she didn't even remember it.

Thorne strolled up to where she was, one hand in his pocket. He smiled charmingly until he stopped in front of her, seeming to lose some of his confidence. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey…wifey."

Cress's whole body trembled.

"So, you must be wondering why I left this morning."

She stared up at Dreamy Eyed Trouble, unable to form words. How was he so calm? How was he not freaking out right now?

"I'm sure you're not thrilled about that and I apologize," Thorne continued. "Don't get me wrong—I had a great time last night. So great. The best. You are… _wow_." He gave her a light punch on the shoulder like they were best buddies. "So great. But I had to do some serious soul searching this morning, all by my lonesome, so I had to go. And all that time thinking, it's brought up questions, Cress. I mean, clearly we're soulmates, but I have to ask myself, like, am I ready to be married? Can I offer you everything a woman of your quality deserves in such an important life step? Can I fulfill your needs in the way a husband should?" He made a buzzer noise. "None of the above. I may seem like a catch, but I'd be depriving you of a shot at true love. How heartless would I be?"

Cress stared at him, but now for an entirely different reason. "Wait." She worked her jaw. "Do you think…I want to stay married?"

He rubbed his neck again. "Don't you?"

"Oh my stars," she burst out, then hugged him. "No, oh my stars, no. I don't want to be married. To you, I mean." She pulled away just as quickly, the warmth of his body against hers bringing back a few vivid memories and making her blush again.

He raised an eyebrow. "So you don't want my $25,000?"

"What?"

"The money. You didn't marry me for my money? Because I don't have a lot."

Her mouth dropped open. "What! No, I did not marry you for money!"

"Sorry," he said quickly. "It's just...I was confused this morning about how…it happened. I don't, uh, remember exactly why we got married? Or the, uh, matrimony itself?"

He looked like he was afraid Cress might slug him because of this confession.

"I don't remember either," Cress said.

Thorne's shoulders slumped in obvious relief.

"I was so hungover I threw up this morning," Cress admitted.

He wrinkled his nose. "In my hotel room?"

She nodded.

"Oh." He looked mildly queasy at this fact, but swallowed and ran a hand through his hair. "So, uh, my buddy Kai is a lawyer. He says we just have to get the marriage annulled and…no harm, no foul. Do you live in California like Winter?"

She nodded again. "L.A."

"What do you know? Me too. Well, outskirts. Would you be okay with doing it as soon as possible? The annulment, I mean."

She was a machine that could only nod and nod and nod.

"Great. Perfect." He gave her that punch-shoulder thing again, but it was more like a light tap. When Cress didn't say anything, he shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "So, crazy night last night, huh? Sorry about that hickey. Hope you have some turtlenecks." He laughed sheepishly. "But at least we won a lot of money. I guess that'll cover any court annulment fees, right? Also, on a scale of 1 to 10, how mad do you think Cinder is?"

She blinked and tried to force out words. Was she just supposed to stand here and make small talk with her soon-to-be ex-husband? Did it count as an ex if it was annulled? But as she ran the night through her mind again—as much as she remembered of it, at least—she squared her shoulders and followed through on her New Year's resolution.

"Married or not," she told Thorne, "it was pretty crappy of you to leave me this morning. We spent the whole night together and you...you didn't even say goodbye. I woke up alone in _your_ hotel room. I deserve better than that."

His blue eyes turned guilty, but she spun on her heels and marched away, her heart racing. That was enough confrontation for the week. Maybe even the month.

"Hey, how will I get in touch with you?" he yelled after her. "We have to set a date to get the annulment!"

* * *

 _Poor Cress. ;)_ _Don't forget to review if you can._

 _Next up: Cresswell meets again at court. Things don't go exactly as they hope. *evil laugh*_


	6. Chapter 6

The court date for the annulment came quickly, only two weeks after Cress had woken up to discover she'd married a man named Carswell Thorne. Luckily, Cress had kept herself busy preparing for her students to return from their holiday break, and the first day back had come and gone just this week. Students were always restless after any break and getting them to focus had been a two-day effort for all her class rotations.

Worse though had been her confrontation with a parent, who had barged into her office unexpectedly this afternoon and yelled at her for assigning homework over break.

"It was mandatory," Cress had explained, cowering at her desk as Mrs. Mira had placed her hands on the desk and leaned too close, her nostrils flaring. "Every teacher has to give one small assignment according to school rules."

School rules didn't matter to most parents though, and even though Cress had only assigned them the task of investigating and evaluating a social media platform of their choosing, Mrs. Mira had still given her hell for it.

Cress was still sweaty from the encounter, and she hoped the blouse she'd worn for her court appointment today didn't show any stains. She fanned herself with her purse as she stood outside the courtroom with her friends, waiting for their time slot. They had all shown up for moral support, even if the scheduled slot for their case was only fifteen minutes.

Thorne strolled into the courthouse two minutes before their time, wearing pristine slacks and a shirt and tie like he had in Vegas. Stars, he looked _good_. Cress had forgotten how cute he was—tried to forget it, really, and everything that had transpired that night. If she couldn't remember all of it, why bother lingering on only some of the details? But there he was, cool, relaxed, and definitely not sweating.

He gave her a lazy, charming smile as he approached.

Kai strode in next to him, wearing an entire suit complete with a jacket, and carried a briefcase. Cress had communicated with Thorne through Kai and Cinder, deciding she didn't want to give a random guy she'd hooked up with her number. As they approached, Cinder let out a stifled, garbled sound next to Cress and began fiddling with her prosthetic hand.

"Ladies," Thorne said, stopping in front of them.

They all smiled a little unenthusiastically, except Cinder, who was staring at the floor.

Thorne nodded at Cress. "Soon to be future ex-wife."

Cress gulped. "H-Hello."

Kai smiled warmly. "Hi Cinder. It's wonderful to see you again."

"Oh, hi," she said, as if she hadn't noticed him before. "Didn't know you'd be here."

"He's my lawyer," Thorne said with a grin.

Cress's eyes widened. "Do I need a lawyer?" She spun to face her girls. "I don't have a lawyer!"

"You don't need one," Scarlet said with a huff.

"Scarlet is right," Kai said, turning his smile to Cress. Her shoulders relaxed a little. "I'm mostly here for moral support, especially considering Thorne's background."

"His background?"

Kai's eyes slid to Thorne, but Thorne only shrugged. "If I want a divorce lawyer, that's my business. But don't you worry." He tapped Cress's nose. "We _both_ want the annulment, and we've got no assets to fight over, so you can consider him your lawyer too. Free of charge, would you look at that."

Kai rolled his eyes. "I'm not a divorce lawyer. I'm in property law. But annulments are basic, and there's no reason I can't represent Thorne unofficially."

"Can you represent me unofficially?" Iko said, peering over Cress's shoulder.

Kai's ears turned red as he looked away—at Cinder, then at the floor.

"Do you think the judge will have a gavel?" Winter asked dreamily.

"Darnel and Thorne, this way please," said the security guard, opening the door.

Scarlet squeezed Cress's hand reassuringly. "You're not in trouble, Cress. There's no need to be nervous. So go in there and get unmarried."

"We'll be sitting in the audience watching you," Iko said.

"She means supporting you," Cinder clarified.

"I'll clap when it's done," Winter said, nodding.

Thorne beckoned for Cress to enter. "After you, wifey."

She hated the way he said that so casually and so confidently that it had to be sarcastic. He lived in L.A., apparently, and she wondered how awkward it would be if they ever ran into each other after this. Would he call her "ex-wifey" as a joke, spilling her regrets about Vegas in front of whoever she was with? Or would he ignore her, pretending like they'd never met?

Oh, _stars_. She would have to tell her real future husband that she had once married someone in Vegas. She was _that_ girl now.

The thought made her want to cry. She wasn't that girl. Had never been that girl.

But here she was, walking with trembling legs up a mostly-vacant courtroom, following the security guard to her designated spot. Kai and Thorne slipped into the seats on the other side of the aisle, where a defendant would normally sit. The judge sat in her robes behind the bench, much younger and much more beautiful than Cress had ever seen any judge on TV ever look.

"Ohhh shit," she heard Kai hiss.

Cress turned to look at him so abruptly she almost dropped her purse.

Kai pulled at his collar. "I know that judge," he whispered. "I should go. Let me out Thorne, get out of my way, _get out of my way_." He tried to squeeze back past Thorne, who looked as confused as Cress felt, but as he stepped into the aisle, the judge called, "Order in the court. Counsel, please return to your seat."

Kai froze, and since he was right next to Cress in the aisle, she saw the look of terror that flashed on his face before he straightened, placed a calm smile on his face, and turned—very, very slowly. "Afternoon, Judge Blackburn," he mumbled, then slipped back in next to Thorne.

The judge's eyes narrowed as they drifted from Cress, to Thorne, and then settled on Kai. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple. Cress looked back at the judge. A semblance of a smile appeared on her lips and she shuffled through her papers.

"Cress Darnel and Carswell Thorne," she murmured, then folded her hands in front of her. "Did you enjoy Las Vegas?"

Cress swallowed and tried to think how to respond. Did the judge expect a joke? Remorse? No response at all?

Apparently, no response was required, as neither Thorne nor Kai said anything.

The judge smiled again, a brilliant, almost terrifying show of teeth. "Mr. Thorne, I see you are not unfamiliar to court."

Thorne smoothed down his tie. "No, Your Honor."

"When I saw your name come across my desk, I took the liberty of informing your parole officer."

Cress gasped. " _Parole officer_?"

"Ex-parole officer," Thorne said. "You'll see I met all the requirements of my probation almost a year ago to date."

"Yes, a two-year probation," Judge Blackburn said. "Not the leniency I would have given you if it were my case." She pursed her lips. "Officer Park?"

Thorne visibly tensed and then turned, eyes wide. A black officer rose from the crowd and approached them, stopping between Cress and Thorne. He gave Judge Blackburn a radiant smile. "Thanks for inviting me today, Your Honor."

"I'm no longer on probation," Thorne said, his tone no longer pleasant. "I did my time. Kai, what is this?"

Cress's knees wobbled. Thorne had joked about being in prison. Had it not been a joke after all? Unless everyone was playing a joke on her right _now_. The officer who stood between them was very much real and official and terrifying. But if Thorne had been in prison, then…

She glanced back at Cinder, who had her face in her hands. The rest of her girls looked mildly interested in the situation developing with Thorne.

Cress tried to keep her shaking to a minimum as Officer Park said, "Yes, Mr. Thorne did meet his probation requirements. Just squeaked by, I might add, but yes."

"Then you have no business being here," Kai said, standing and looking much more official than he had only seconds ago. "Mr. Thorne is not on trial. He is here to annul a marriage that mistakenly took place in Las Vegas." He stared at Officer Park like he expected him to leave.

"I'm aware, Counsel," Officer Park said, but turned back to Judge Blackburn. "I keep up with my former parolees, check in from time to time to encourage them as they reintegrate into society."

Thorne was the most tense Cress had ever seen him—not that she'd seen him much. He stared straight forward, unwilling to look at Officer Park.

"When I heard from my lovely colleague"—he gestured at the judge—"I thought I'd come by and see what kind of shenanigans Mr. Thorne has gotten himself into. You see…" He trailed off dramatically, his smile turning into a frown. "I know this one well. Mr. Thorne's…not the marrying type, Your Honor."

Thorne's shoulders stiffened even more. "That's why I'm getting an _annulment_ , Park."

"Consider me a concerned citizen, Your Honor. I'm here to make sure he's not trying to pull a fast one. With his history of conning, it's possible this entire marriage was a scam to get her money." His attention shifted to Cress. "Have you checked your bank accounts?"

"W-What?" Cress stuttered, grabbing her chair for support. The room was too hot. Everything was spinning. Sweat dripped down her neck. " _Conning_?"

"Convictions of grand theft auto and various counts of petty theft," Judge Blackburn said, clicking her tongue. "Thank you, Officer Park."

As he moved back into the audience, Kai said, "Thorne's past is not relevant to this annulment."

"Mr. Huang," the judge said, smiling widely, "you will only speak when addressed." She turned to Thorne. "Now, what was your plan, Mr. Thorne? Marry the girl so you'd have access to the full fifty grand? Then annul the marriage to make it seem like it wasn't intentional?"

 _What?_ The full fifty grand? The money they had won gambling? How did the judge even know about that?

Thorne's grip was white-knuckled against his own chair. "Your honor, I can assure you, the money will be split evenly between us. I know I committed crimes in the past but I've served my time. I was a kid back then. Please consider that time in prison can change a man. As does age. I'm reformed. Living the straight life."

"But you're still unemployed, I see," said the judge.

Cress's mouth dropped. He was in _finance_. He'd told her himself.

"Quit the day he got off probation," said Officer Park.

"It wasn't for me," Thorne said, thin-lipped. "Your Honor, I got married. In Las Vegas. On accident while drunk. That's not illegal, even if it should be. Then neither of us would be in this situation, looking to get it annulled."

Judge Blackburn considered him, then turned to Cress. "And what of you, Miss Darnel?"

Cress straightened but didn't let go of the chair. "I also wish to annul the marriage. My…my bank accounts remain the same. The money from our casino win hasn't even been distributed yet, but, um, Mr. Thorne did always say we would split it halfway."

"Tell them, Cress!" Iko called from behind her.

"Quiet," the judge snapped. "Now, Miss Darnel, your case is quite interesting too."

"It…is?" she squawked.

Kai and Thorne swiveled to face her.

"You _are_ Canadian, are you not?"

Cress could only nod, baffled at her question.

"We see this quite a lot. Immigrants looking for a quick path to citizenship? Circumventing visas?"

"W-What? I'm a permanent resident. I have my green card."

"Which expires in eight months," the judge continued.

"Aces," Thorne said under his breath.

"I submitted my renewal paperwork months ago." She tried to calm her racing heart. "This is my second renewal." _No big deal,_ she wanted to add. Kai shuffled through a stack of papers frantically as Cress collected herself. She was not on trial. She'd done nothing wrong. There was no reason to be nervous.

Except her entire body was shaking now and she was nervous just because everyone was staring at her like she _had_ done something illegal.

"Did Mr. Thorne promise you citizenship through marriage in exchange for the money you won gambling?"

"Oh, come _on_ ," Thorne said. His incredulity pulled Cress back into the present.

"No, he did not," Cress said more firmly. "And as a permanent resident, I don't need a visa to get married anyway," she added. That applied to fiancé visas, not the kind she'd received through moving here when she was in middle school.

"No?" the judge said, tutting.

Cress looked helplessly at Kai, but he shrugged. "I'm not an expert at immigration law."

"Are _you_ an expert at immigration law, Miss Darnel?" said the judge.

"No, but—"

"So you deny entering into a marriage with this man for any other purpose than attraction?"

She scoffed. "I was drunk. I'm _not_ attracted to him."

"Are you kidding me?" Thorne said, offended. "That's how you think of me? No attraction? You married me, that's how attracted you are, darling."

"Not helping your case," Kai hissed.

"Your Honor," Cress said, wringing her hands, "if I had malicious intentions, why would I enter into a fraudulent marriage and then come to annul it?"

"Oh," said the judge, "maybe both of you got cold feet. Maybe you've already accomplished whatever your goals were during these two weeks you've been married. An association with a convicted felon doesn't look good on your visa record. Deportation of immigrants is quite high these days, with the current administration, Miss Darnel."

Her jaw dropped, anger replacing some of her nerves. "Deportation? I'm a law-abiding permanent resident and all I want is to forget the one mistake I've made!" She gestured at Thorne. "Marrying this man who I did _not_ know was a felon."

Thorne crossed his arms. "I told you I was in prison."

"I thought you were joking!"

The judge rapped her gavel. "Order in the court."

"Your Honor—" Kai started.

"Quiet, Mr. Huang," she snapped. "Or I will hold you in contempt."

Kai sat immediately, leaving Thorne standing there next to him, looking as dumbfounded as Cress. He met Cress's eyes, then held up his hands and put on the smile Cress had seen him use on her the morning after they'd hooked up. "Your Honor," he said. "This is all a big misunderstanding. Cress is right. It wouldn't make sense for us to request an annulment. Cress wouldn't be able to get her visa and I wouldn't be able to…um, steal anything."

Judge Blackburn grinned widely. "So, you also claim to have entered into this marriage in good faith?"

"Yes."

"You weren't thinking about conning her when you married her?"

"No, Your Honor, I was, uh…thinking about how hot she is."

Cress blushed as Thorne rubbed the back of his neck.

"And you, Miss Darnel, also claim to have entered into this marriage in good faith?"

"Yes," she said quickly, even though she couldn't remember it, and now was all sorts of worried that Thorne really _had_ tried to con her. But Cinder had said he wasn't a bad guy, just a womanizer, and—

Cinder had lied to her too, though, if Thorne's words about prison had been true.

Her mind whirred.

"I…cared about him at the time," she added, just to sound more like Thorne. Align their stories, as if that was necessary here.

Apparently it was.

"You just admitted earlier that you weren't attracted to him," said the judge, frowning. "Was that a lie?"

"No!" Cress said. "I mean, yes. Sort of. I find him attractive, yes, of course, I mean who wouldn't?" Oh stars, she was making an idiot of herself. "Under the influence of alcohol, I mean, I found him attractive, but when I woke up, I, um…no longer did?"

Thorne scoffed.

"I think there's too much suspicion surrounding this circumstance to believe that," said Judge Blackburn.

Thorne's confidence stature faltered. "But Cress and I had a wonderful evening together before we got married. We met with all our friends present." He gestured around the court at Cress's friends. "Spent the whole night together. Surely, they can testify that this was well-intentioned, if a mistake."

"I'll testify!" Iko said, getting to her feet.

"Sit," said Judge Blackburn.

Iko looked like she wanted to open her mouth, but Cinder pulled her back into her seat.

"You stand by your claim then, Mr. Thorne, Miss Darnel? That you were both attracted to each other, and upon the influence of alcohol, consummated your marriage?"

"Objection," Kai said, then clapped a hand over his mouth. Even Cress knew you couldn't object to the judge herself, and she wasn't even a lawyer.

Her face burned as she said, "Yes, I stand by it."

Thorne agreed.

"You're willing to go under oath?"

"Yes," they both chorused.

Judge Blackburn picked up her papers and stood. "This annulment is on hold. I will be ordering an investigation into this situation."

Cress was full-out shaking, trying to make sense of everything.

"Wait!" Thorne said. "I…um…Your Honor. The real issue is…Cress and I rushed into this in Las Vegas and didn't realize how big of a commitment marriage is. Relationships are hard, aren't they, Your Honor? See, with Cress and me…it was like magnets that night. You can't fight it that kind of attraction. But we had to think about our future, and it's not as cohesive as we'd imagined. So maybe our annulment here today was rushed. We weren't thinking about it clearly, but your presence today has reminded me that I'm not doing enough to make it work."

"What?" Cress burst out. "You don't want the annulment anymore?"

Thorne crossed the aisle and dropped to his knees in front of her. " _We can get a divorce with a different judge who isn't crazy_ ," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth. Cress barely had time to process his words as Thorne said loudly, "I'm sorry, baby, I wasn't thinking. I can't imagine leaving here today and not going home with you tonight."

Cress reeled back.

Thorne took her hand and looked at the judge. "It was my fault, really, Your Honor. These past two weeks were bliss, but then we had a big fight the other day, because I suck at putting the toilet seat down." He laughed naturally, like he wasn't lying out of his face. "Living together is hard."

"You were living together?" the judge said sharply.

"Of course," Thorne crooned.

"They were," Iko called. "Woke the neighbors a few times."

Cress flushed from head to toe, her trembling hands clasped inside Thorne's bigger, warmer hand. "Please," he said through his smile, and Dreamy Eyed Trouble's blue eyes widened as he pleaded with her. "Take me back, Cress. I want to make it work."

Judge Blackburn let out a shrill laugh. "Pathetic acting skills, Mr. Thorne. Miss Darnel?"

Cress's lip trembled. She didn't know what to do. Nothing she'd been truthful about had helped her at all. She didn't want a divorce on her record, but it was better than a visa investigation. She had nothing to hide, of course, except now it seemed like she did, and she wished she could break to talk to her friends about it. But Iko had backed Thorne's story. Did that mean they were trying to tell her to go along with it? Or was Iko just being Iko, and trying to get her _together_ with Thorne?

She shook her head. There was no way the judge would believe any alteration of their story now.

"I—"

Thorne got to his feet and arched her against him, kissing her deeply. She melted against him, unable to stop the rush of emotions that washed over her. His lips were familiar, warm, _perfect._

But they were in public, and everyone was watching them, and— _she didn't want this_. She didn't want to be married to Carswell Thorne. She pulled away abruptly, gasping for air.

Her palm connected with his cheek with a _smack_.

He stumbled back, holding his freshly-slapped cheek, and looked ashamed. "Sorry, Cress," he mumbled, and joined Kai again, sinking into the chair next to him. Cress sat too, her body too shaky to stand any longer.

"I _won't_ take him back," she told the judge.

Judge Blackburn frowned. "But you live together?"

If she disagreed with him now, everything about their story was suspicious. _Everything_.

"Yes, for...for the last two weeks," she mumbled.

The judge seemed highly irritated by this admission. "Then you are here not because you want an _annulment_ , but you're here because you tried a marriage for two weeks and then decided it wasn't worth it?"

"Yes?" she said. "It was a mistake to get married. I don't want to be with him."

"So, it is a _divorce_ you seek, then, not an annulment?"

Cress looked up hopefully. "Yes."

"Very well," the judge said. "That is a different type of case."

Thorne let out a deep breath.

The judge sat back down and gave the instructions for getting a divorce, outlining paperwork that was needed and how they'd wasted the court's time. Cress didn't understand why a divorce should be any different from an annulment in terms of being fraudulent or not, but she was not about to argue with the judge again. If this got her off her case about her visa, then she would gladly put a divorce on her record. But then, when it was already too late to take it back, the judge's lips curled back into an evil smile.

"And since you claim to live together, of course it won't bother you if we do a random inspection to check."

Cress froze.

So did Thorne. "O-Of course not," he stuttered, pulling on his tie.

Cress shook her head, numb.

"You understand," the judge said. "With all the suspicions presented earlier, we need to check out your case. Of course, seeing as you both willingly entered into this marriage with good faith, there's no need to worry about the inspection." She grinned. "And while we're at it, I'm requiring both of you to visit with a court-ordered psychologist on a weekly basis, until the divorce goes through."

"Psychologist?" Cress gasped out.

"Consider it marriage counseling, Miss Darnel," Judge Blackburn said.

"B-But—"

"We can also just run a regular investigation, if you prefer. Put your assets on hold, as well as your visa renewal."

"You…can do that?" Cress said.

"I'm the judge, I can do whatever I want."

Cress looked at Kai again. His face was in his hands though.

"It's no problem," Thorne said. "Thank you, Your Honor, for understanding the mistakes of two young people." He coughed. "Not that you're not young, either, Your Honor. I meant, only, that being young yourself, you would be understanding of such mistakes. Stars, is that a new robe? It looks fabulous with your hair color." He shut his jaw, finally, and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Is my judgement satisfactory for you, Mr. Huang?" Judge Blackburn said coolly, finally addressing Kai.

He looked up, just as startled as everyone else. "You're asking me?"

"You always _did_ have so many opinions."

Kai flushed as much as Cress as he got to his feet next to Thorne. "Then, um, yes, it does seem like a fair ruling, Your Honor. My client accepts your terms so long as you grant the divorce if they meet your requirements. If I may, a cap on living together would be…ah, gracious…considering Miss Darnel wishes to separate."

"Six months," the judge said, as if she'd expected Kai's response. "Only _then_ will I put in a note to allow either of them out of this marriage."

Kai nodded.

Thorne had paled, though his smile was still plastered on his face. "Thank you, Your Honor."

Judge Blackburn smiled at Cress.

"And Miss Darnel?"

"Y-Yes," she stuttered, because that was all she could do today: Stutter and sweat and screw everything up.

The judge banged her gavel. "Case adjourned. Next?"

The security guard shuffled all of them out of the courtroom almost immediately. Cress was pulled into a mess of people, most of them her friends, until the door of the court swung shut. It was only then that tears formed in her eyes.

"Well, this is a disaster," said Cinder.

Winter hugged Cress immediately.

"I—I don't understand," Cress said, a tear rolling down her cheek now. "What's happening?"

"I'm sorry I kissed you unexpectedly," Thorne said, actually looking sorry. "I was improvising, I—"

"You ruined my life!" Cress said.

Thorne drew back, no longer sorry. "I saved your life. We're lucky she bought my little show. She was going to _investigate_ us!"

"She still is!"

"Just to make sure we're living together," he said. "Not for conning the U.S. government. Trust me, you don't want to get tangled up in one of those investigations."

Cress glared through her tears. "You would know all about those, wouldn't you?"

"I would," he agreed.

"Okay, stop for a second." Kai held up his hands.

Thorne rounded on him. "Oh, _now_ you want to speak? You did nothing in there!"

"I couldn't," he said lamely.

"Why did that judge hate you?" It was Cinder, and she stepped out of the group, her arms crossed next to Cress.

"She was in love with me during law school," he said sheepishly. "I turned her down. She thought I was leading her on…" He scrubbed his hand through his hair. "It was a mess. I didn't know she'd still hold a grudge, but that's what she does. This was about me, not you guys."

Scarlet said, "Perfect. You're not the one who has to live with Thorne for six months."

"I live with Thorne _now_ ," Kai said.

Thorne shrugged. "I sleep on his couch."

"You mean," Cress said, "you don't have a job _or_ a place of residence?"

He shrugged again. "Looks like I'll be moving in with you then."

"Oh, _no_ , I am _not_ living with a criminal." She turned to her girls. "You'll help me get out of this, right? She can't seriously force me to live with anyone!"

They all looked to Kai.

"She can't make up immigration laws," Cress insisted. "I'm not a lawyer, but I've read every document there is. Annulling a drunken marriage isn't a crime. It's actually the responsible thing to do."

"Look." Kai ran his hands through his hair again. "She's not reasonable. She obviously can't force you to live together."

Cress breathed a sigh of relief.

"But…"

Her heart sank.

"If I know Levana—Judge Blackburn—she's just trying to make you both miserable because she's miserable. She knows you don't want to be married so now she coerced you into being married for as long as she can help it. She's notorious in court cases for stalling proceedings or putting up unreasonable roadblocks. If you don't do what she says, she _can_ call for an investigation _._ It'll surely fall through—after all, Thorne has been a law-abiding citizen since he got out of prison and wasn't trying to con you. Right, Thorne?"

He nodded.

"And you, Cress, weren't trying to do something with your visa?"

She hugged Winter more tightly, shaking her head. "It doesn't make any sense. I'd stay in the marriage if that's what I wanted. There's a two-year commitment for a marriage visa, and it doesn't even apply to permanent residents."

"Okay. Good. So, her investigation would be thrown out, but you'd still be swamped initially with paperwork and legal fees. ICE would be notified, I imagine, and you don't want them on your bad side."

"Of course I don't."

"So…I hate to say this, but…maybe it is a good idea for Thorne to move in with Cress."

"No!" Cress burst out.

"Aw, come on, it won't be that bad," Thorne said."I'm a good guy." He gave Cinder a hopeful look, like he expected her to back up his statement. When she didn't say anything, his expression hardened. "Alright, then. Good to know you have my back too."

"Thorne," Cinder finally said, biting her lip. "That was years ago. Don't drag up the past."

Kai looked between them.

So did everyone else.

"Did you two have a fling?" Iko said.

"No," they both said.

Winter said, "I can ask Jacin about Thorne."

"I barely know him," Thorne said. He pointed at Kai. "I went to Vegas because Kai invited me. Can I speak with Cress alone for a minute?"

"No," said all her girls, and Cress could have hugged them.

"Alright." Thorne's carefree smile from when they'd met outside the courtroom before had turned into something akin to a grimace. "I don't want this any more than you do, Cress. I promise I'll stay out of your way. I'll sleep on the couch and…" He lowered his blue eyes and rocked back on his heels. "And despite what Cinder seems to think, you don't have to be afraid of me."

Cress suddenly wished she had accepted his offer to speak in private.

"But you're a criminal," she said quietly.

"And you're not a car so there's nothing I want from you."

"Careful, there," said Iko. "You wanted plenty from her in Vegas."

Thorne smirked. "You forget we've already spent the night together and that—"

Cress held up her hand, growing red. " _That_ was a mistake."

"We can appeal," Scarlet said. "Right, Kai?"

"Technically, there's nothing to appeal; you weren't on trial." At the scathing look she gave him, he added quickly, "but you can try. Start the divorce paperwork the judge mentioned in the meantime." He turned to Cress. "And for what it's worth, Thorne may have done some bad things in the past, but he's paid for them dearly and is working on being a better person now that he's out. He's not a terrible roommate. A little sloppy but he's entertaining."

"Wonderful," Cress muttered. She held up her chin, unsure of what else to do. Her life was unraveling around her. "I need some time to think about it, okay?"

"What's there to think about?" Thorne met her eyes, gluing her in place. "You already agreed in there. Who knows when the judge will send someone to check out our story? Could be tonight."

She had to look away; making eye contact too long blurred her thinking. "I'm spending tonight _alone_ in my apartment. So if someone comes tonight…too bad," she said feebly. Her lip was trembling again.

"You're not spending the night alone," Cinder said.

She turned to her friend, betrayed.

"We're all going to stay with you," Scarlet clarified.

"Ooh, yes please," Iko said.

"You would?" Cress said. "But we have work tomorrow."

Iko slung her arm over Cress's shoulders. "We are _all_ calling in sick."

They all murmured in agreement.

Cress's eyes swelled but this time with tears of gratitude. "Thanks, guys."

"Perfect," Thorne said, "I guess tomorrow's a good day to bring over my stuff then."

Cress buried herself in a group hug with her friends, too overwhelmed at the thought to answer him.

* * *

 _Please review._


	7. Chapter 7

Having the girls over kept Cress from being alone with her anxiety, but it did nothing to help her feel better about the prospect of Thorne moving in. The next morning, her doubts were still bursting out of her.

"I can't live with someone like him! First, he's a criminal!" She looked guiltily toward Cinder, who didn't meet her eye. "And...and he's too hot!"

"He's your legally wedded husband, Cress," Iko said. "The judge basically commanded you to have your way with him."

Cress ignored her comment, her mind already moving on to what having Thorne around would mean for her quiet evenings at home. She let out a gasp. "Oh, stars. How will I relax? I won't even be able to walk around in my pajamas anymore!"

Scarlet frowned. "Why not?"

"He's a stranger!"

"Who you slept with," Scarlet said, giving her a pointed look.

"By mistake!" Cress squeaked.

"Point is, he's already seen quite a lot. I'm sure he can handle your spaceship pajama bottoms."

Iko clicked her tongue. "Oh, _those_. Where are they? We should just throw them away now." She checked her watch. "We have time to go shopping before the boys come over. Maybe we should swing by Victoria's Secret and pick up some sexy lingerie."

Cress put her face in her hands.

"That's enough, Iko," Scarlet said. "Cress made it clear that she's uncomfortable and you're being pushy and insensitive."

"Oh, everyone is so grumpy today!" Iko crossed her arms. "I'm only trying to make light of the situation, which really isn't _that_ bad. So Cress has to live with a hot man for six months. I'd gladly take her place. Did you all forget what Thorne looks like?"

Iko fanned herself.

Cress's lip trembled. "If you like him so much, then...then you live here! I'll take your apartment for the next six months and you take mine. And if anyone comes by to investigate, you can just say you're visiting."

"Let's talk about something else," Scarlet said. "We still have some time to kill. Do you think Thorne will bring Ze'ev?"

"Ze'ev is friends with Jacin, not Thorne," Winter said.

"So ask Jacin already."

Winter took out her cell but shrugged her shoulders. "Jacin's at work."

"As if you two don't text each other constantly? You've sent him three messages just in the last fifteen minutes."

Winter's cheeks turned darker. "Oh, alright."

"I can't believe he's not coming to help out today," Scarlet said.

"Jacin's at work," Winter repeated.

"And Cress is one of your best friends, so by default, your boyfriend should be here to help her out. Did he respond about Ze'ev yet?"

"No."

"Maybe I should throw the newlyweds a party!" Iko exclaimed, her face lighting up. "Oh, don't look so horrified, Cress. It would be small, intimate. Just our friends and maybe Thorne's friends. You want to meet his friends, don't you?"

"No," Cress said firmly.

"You're going to be living with the man for six months. It's important to know what kind of person he is."

"I don't want to know anything about him."

Iko raised an eyebrow. "It's okay to be nervous, but let's not lie."

Cress rubbed her temples. "Stop, okay? Stop planning. Stop scheming. Stop telling me what I think. I just want to get today over with and take it a day at a time."

Scarlet put her arm around Cress's shoulders. "And we'll be here with you, every one of those days."

"Not physically," Iko said.

"Supporting you and not giving you more stress," Cinder said with a glare at Iko.

"I could be here physically," Winter said. "How about a third roommate, Cress? I'm always awake at night too. Often sleep walking. I could keep an eye on things."

"Uhh…" Cress tried to smile. "That's really kind of you to offer, Winter, but it's already crowded enough in here with just two people. Where would you sleep? Thorne will obviously take the couch."

Iko let out a little strangled noise but kept her comments to herself for once.

"In your bed with you, of course!" Winter said.

Cress thought back to the many times they'd all had sleepovers together in college, and the rare occasions of adulthood when they'd all stayed over—like last night. It was nice for a night, but then Cress always wanted her space back. She didn't want anyone in her bed. Not Thorne, and not Winter.

Plus, Winter _did_ sleep walk.

A fact that was funny when all the girls were with her and they took videos of her to show her the next day, but…the girls were all secretly relieved that Jacin would soon be the one to deal with that phenomenon when the two of them got married.

"I think I'll just see how it goes," Cress said. "But I do want you guys to come over a lot and not leave me alone with him any more than necessary."

"You can't be trusted with him," Iko said solemnly, nodding.

"That's not what I meant."

"I meant that you married him the last time we left you alone with him."

"Cress is not the only one who is going to kill you if you keep talking about her and Thorne," Cinder said.

Iko crossed her arms. "We could talk about you, Miss I'm-Going-To-Ignore-The-Love-Of-My-Life."

"Iko does have a point on that one," Cress said. "Kai is coming by today too. You can't just not speak to him."

Cinder fiddled with her prosthetic hand and didn't look at them. She had declared last night that she was ditching her attempts to reconnect with Kai after Las Vegas. _Too much pressure for it to be perfect._ Cress didn't think anyone believed her reasoning—not even Cinder herself.

"And…" Cress hadn't brought up the jail thing yet. She had tried to work into the conversation naturally last night when they'd all stayed up talking, but Cinder had always dodged the topic, almost stealthily, like she expected Cress to bring it up. And when she had brought up Thorne's criminal past, Cinder had laughed it off and diverted the conversation as well.

"It's only been one day since I haven't spoken to him," Cinder said, catching Cress's eye and doing exactly what she'd done last night. "But we should focus on Cress. And Thorne. Cress and Thorne. Stars, what a blast from this past this is."

"Speaking of the past—"

"I should check in with work," Cinder continued, going to the door. "I know we're all taking the day off but my employer isn't that flexible and well, you know how it is."

She slipped out before Cress could respond.

"What's up with her?" Scarlet said.

Cress wondered the same thing.

* * *

"I can't believe how much stuff you have," Kai said with a huff as Thorne popped the trunk.

"You literally just helped me load it all into the car," Thorne said with an eye roll.

"Hence my disbelief."

"If we packed up your apartment, it wouldn't even fit into an entire trailer."

"Because I _have_ an apartment."

"More reason for me to have a lot of boxes."

A red Prius pulled into a parking spot across the street. A large man unfolded himself out of the car, his legs so long Thorne wondered how he'd fit them inside in the first place. His face had some scars, and his hair was wild.

"Ze'ev!" Kai called, waving. "Over here! Thanks for coming, man."

"Sure thing."

He lumbered over, and Thorne looked up at the hulking man in front of him. He vaguely remembered Ze'ev as one of Jacin's friends. But he hadn't spent the night talking to everyone like Kai had. He reached out his hand. "I'm Thorne. Here because Scarlet might be?"

Ze'ev didn't acknowledge his question but he shook Thorne's hand.

"Thanks for coming anyway," Thorne said. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

Thorne had made Kai spill what he knew about Cress from his all-nighter with Cinder, and by wayside of Kai's details, he knew enough about Cress's friends that he figured he could handle them well enough.

And he already knew Cinder—or, better, _had_ known Cinder, as she was pretending they'd never been friends now. He'd stolen Kai's phone this morning and checked the messages they were sending each other. There had been a lot of back and forth, especially the two of them commenting on how their friends had hooked up—including nosy comments about him and Cress, Ze'ev and Scarlet, Iko and some random chick—but nothing bad about him specifically, so he couldn't figure out what her problem was.

Whereas before yesterday her responses had been enthusiastic if still restrained, Kai was getting a little desperate at his newly unrequited messages. He'd yammered on about Cinder during the entire L.A. traffic jam they'd sat through on the way to Cress's apartment, which was inconveniently on the other side of the city.

"It's been twenty-four hours of radio silence," he'd said, running his hand through his hair and letting out an exasperated breath. "What did I do? What changed? Think she saw me again and decided, oh, he's actually a lot uglier than I remember?"

Thorne had laughed at that. Cinder was definitely attracted to Kai like most girls were attracted to Kai. But he wasn't there to feed Kai's ego, not today when he had his own problems to deal with concerning Cress.

"Are we going in or are we going to stand here all day?" Ze'ev said.

Thorne cleared his throat and looked up at 12 Satellite Lane. It was a regular, boring high-rise apartment complex. Nothing like Kai's oceanside view.

"I guess this is home," he muttered, and grabbed a box.

"How I do I look, though?" Kai said.

"Like someone a little too desperate to impress a girl," Thorne said, side-stepping him.

Ze'ev didn't even grunt as he grabbed two boxes and followed Thorne.

"He's nervous about seeing Cinder again," Thorne told him.

"Who's Cinder?"

"Only the most amazing woman in the galaxy," Kai said.

"Shut up about Cinder and help me open this door," Thorne said.

"It's locked, genius." Kai found the button for DARNEL, CRESS and pushed.

"H-Hello?" squeaked a voice.

"Honey, I'm home. Can you buzz me in?"

" _Aw, he called you honey_!"

" _How original."_

 _"Well, are you going to let him in or not?"_

"Cress?" Thorne lifted his knee to support the heavy box better. "Dying out here."

Cress finally buzzed him in.

Luckily, her apartment had a nice elevator that fit the three of them, even with their boxes. He was not a paranoid man by nature, but as the elevator counted up the floors to Cress's apartment, Thorne's hands grew a little sweaty. He would have attributed it to the boxes and the L.A. heat, but he knew it was because, for the first time in his life, he was about to _move in_ with a woman. And not just any woman. A woman who was technically his wife.

Two life milestone he'd never imagined he'd have, and he'd managed to trap himself into both with one stupid night in Vegas. Sure, it'd been a fun night together in Vegas, but who would want to end up in a situation like this?

 _Okay, no big deal_ , he reminded himself as the elevator dinged open. _Cress is a lot of fun, a little wild, good at gambling, and she's cute. This can be an easy six months. Both of us know we don't want long-term commitment. Nothing says 'not getting attached' like waiting for your divorce papers to come in. You can both just enjoy this, no strings attached._

But as Cress opened the door to her apartment as they entered the hallway, like she'd been watching through her peephole for the elevator, he had to swallow hard and plaster a charming smile on his face.

He was _moving in_ with her.

"Hey, wifey," he said.

Cress gawked a little, then stared at the floor. "Uh, hi, yes, do come in. Oh, you brought Kai and Ze'ev. Um, you can put your boxes in the living room for now."

Thorne strode into the apartment. "Ladies."

Iko, Scarlet, and Winter stood in the apartment—but Cinder was nowhere to be seen. Thorne dropped his box on the floor and scoped out the apartment. Small, tidy, no picture frames of family. Only some photos of Cress and her friends on a bookshelf. Flowers sat on the kitchen table, which was adjoined to the living room. It was a one-bedroom, one-bathroom.

Not ideal.

Ze'ev dropped his boxes on top of Thorne's and straightened. He smiled bashfully, which was an interesting look on someone so large and intimidating. "Nice to see you again, Scarlet."

Scarlet bit her lip. "Didn't know you'd be coming."

"No? Sorry for the surprise. I told Jacin I'd help out."

Iko nudged Scarlet in the side, but Scarlet ignored her.

"Where's Cinder?" Kai said, looking around.

"Probably getting the box you didn't carry upstairs," Thorne said.

"I was opening doors!"

The stunning woman with ebony skin and loose curls—Winter, if Thorne remembered corrected—stepped in between the men and women. "Welcome, Carswell! Cress is delighted to open her home to you. If there is anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable, please _do_ let us know."

He blinked, a little taken aback by her beauty, and a little weirded out by her formality. "Most people just call me Thorne."

"Is this all you have?" Scarlet said, pointing at the boxes.

"Oh no, this is only the beginning," Kai said. The disappointment on his face at the absence of Cinder made Thorne want to pull him into the hallway and smack some sense into him.

"Well, then." Scarlet jutted out her hip. "We'll be up here relaxing while you boys do your thing."

"You could take your shirts off too," Iko said.

Ze'ev's brow creased. Kai's ears reddened.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Scarlet said.

Iko was nonplussed and flipped a blue braid over her shoulder. "I just meant, you know, if they were sweaty from moving. They might think we'll get uncomfortable if they strip but actually—"

"I don't want them to strip," Winter said breezily.

Cress was the only one not saying anything. Thorne tilted his head, considering her. She stood behind Winter, biting her lip and wringing her hands.

"We'll just get the rest of my things, then," he said.

With Ze'ev's help, it only took them three more trips to finish unloading the boxes. As they entered the apartment a third time, he could smell something frying in the kitchen. Okay, not a bad deal. He could always eat and if Cress was making him food already, things were off to a good start.

But Cress sat on the couch next to Winter, silent, with Iko perched on the armrest at her other side. Scarlet was the one to poke her head around the corner. "How do you guys like your eggs? Sunny-side up okay?"

"Sure," they said.

Thorne took a seat on the couch next to Winter. Kai stood by the doorway with Ze'ev.

Silence filled the room, interrupted only by the fizzling of eggs.

If Thorne's stomach grumbled, it was nothing compared to the drool that escaped Ze'ev's mouth when Scarlet walked in with a tray. She had made eggs, toast, and fried tomatoes. Nothing special, but they were stacked into a fancy bite-sized sandwiches, complete with a toothpick. Ze'ev had finished half the tray before Thorne had even managed to finish one.

"Didn't know you had such a hearty appetite," Scarlet said, amused.

"So delicious," he said.

"Scarlet's a cook," Winter said.

"Maybe you can cook for Ze'ev sometime," Iko said, inspecting her fingers not-so-innocently. "I'm sure he likes eating out—"

Ze'ev choked on his sandwich.

"—side his home now and then," Iko finished, too slowly, and with too much of a smirk on her face.

Thorne had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Iko was hilarious, if completely inappropriate.

"Any time you want," Scarlet told Ze'ev with a wink.

Thorne didn't bother hiding his smile. Cress's friends were kind of fun, and they were all gorgeous to boot.

Iko clapped her hands. "This is perfect. See, we're all getting along. Everyone's practically already best friends. I think we should have a belated party to celebrate your nuptials."

Thorne glanced at Cress. One look at her was all he needed to know this was absolutely not what she wanted. At least he wasn't alone in the sentiment. "No thanks," he said.

Cress looked up, clearly relieved.

"Oh, come on!" Iko insisted.

"We're trying to get divorced," he reminded her.

"Exactly," Cress said.

"So, a house warming party?"

"Cress doesn't _want_ a party, Iko, give it a rest."

They all looked toward the door. They'd left it open, and no one had noticed Cinder step in. Her face was stern as she focused on Iko. Thorne glanced at Kai. He was on the other side of Ze'ev and had to turn to face Cinder. His shoulders relaxed. "Hey, Cinder!"

Thorne almost cringed on behalf of his friend. _A little too enthusiastic there, buddy._

"Hi," Cinder said, but she didn't look at him.

Thorne cocked his head. Maybe he'd over-estimated Cinder's affections. The longing she'd had in her eyes for Kai wasn't there now—or if it was, she was doing a decent job of suppressing it. But she ran a finger over her prosthetic hand and avoided eye contact with everyone except Iko.

"Fine, no party," Iko said, getting up. "So, if we're not going to party, any reason for us to still be here?"

"Yes!" Cress said. Her eyes were wide, panicked.

Thorne wasn't an idiot. _Don't leave me alone with him,_ she practically screamed. So, she was still nervous about his presence. They didn't know each other, and no woman would be comfortable with a random guy moving in. He just needed to remind her that he was harmless. That they'd had a good rapport in Vegas, and that this wasn't going to be as bad as either of them thought. He'd shown her a good time that night, and he was happy to show her a good time again.

"It's up to Cress, of course, but maybe it _is_ a better idea if Cress and I can have some privacy," he said, calling up the personification of a perfect gentleman once more. "We should probably figure out where we're going to put all my stuff, what rules we should live by to keep out of each other's way, that sort of thing."

Cress visibly swallowed. Her girls exchanged a look with her, and she shook her head, then looked like she wanted to plead, but finally, she nodded. "H-He's probably right."

Winter stood first. "This has been lovely. If you boys keep it up, I may just invite you take part in the charity date auction I'm working on with Cress, Cinder, and Iko."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"It's for charity."

"I think they got that," Cinder said.

"We need handsome, interesting men," Winter continued. "You'll get more details later, if we select you to be a part of it."

Ze'ev turned to Scarlet. "Will you be part of it?"

"I may be bidding."

"That's fabulous," Thorne said loudly. He wanted to roll his eyes, so he shoo'ed Kai and Ze'ev out of the apartment as quickly as he could, thanking them graciously and refusing to acknowledge Kai's panic at Cinder's indifference. They could figure that out later. He was going to be living with Cress. Surely one of Cinder's best friends would be able to clue him in to help Kai out. For now, Kai needed to be cool and not freak Cinder out.

"I should call Ze'ev," Scarlet said when the guys had gotten into the elevator.

"Definitely," Thorne said.

The rest of the women agreed, even Cress.

After several loud minutes of hugs and " _It's going to be fine, Cress_!" the women departed as well.

"Ah, finally alone." Thorne sank back onto the couch and grinned at his technically-wife. "How's it going, darlin?"

Cress shrank away from him, as if she wished the couch could swallow her whole.

Okay, so, not _quite_ the reaction he was going for.

He shrugged and reached for the remote. Might as well relax.

* * *

 _Please review._


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Cress woke to the sound of the shower running. Already flushing at the idea of who exactly was in that shower, Cress stayed in bed as long as she could to give him some privacy. She'd already walked past him sleeping on the couch two times to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, and she'd had to leave the water running in the sink while she was in there—just in case he actually _wasn't_ sleeping, as the tiny living space in her apartment made her far too self-conscious.

Even now, she could hear him humming through the thin walls.

After a half an hour, she couldn't wait anymore.

She mustered up her courage and knocked on the door. "Can you hurry up?'

His humming stopped. "Hello?"

She banged this time. "I really need to go to the bathroom."

"Just a few more minutes."

"I'm going to be late for work!"

The water finally turned off. She heard the curtain pull back and his humming resume. After only a few seconds, he opened the door. Thorne stepped out, a towel loosely wrapped around his hips and water dripping off his body. Cress squeaked.

"It's all yours," he said with a grin.

"Don't—" She grabbed for the bathmat. "You're soaking wet. The floor!"

She threw the bathmat at his feet and slammed the door shut. She wouldn't have time for a shower herself now, and she hastily washed her face and made herself as presentable as possible. When she opened the door five minutes later, Thorne was still standing there in his towel.

"What are you doing!"

She could barely manage to get the words out with him all half-naked in front of her.

He raised an eyebrow. "Waiting to use the bathroom."

"Again?"

"You interrupted my morning routine."

He gestured at his body, as if she needed a reminder to look. He was just as gorgeous as she remembered.

She forced her eyes up, to his face, still flustered. "Well, you interrupted mine. And some of us have to go to work."

"We'll just have to work on a morning routine that fits both our schedules."

"Yes, well, that routine is that as long as I have a job, and you don't, I get first dibs on the bathroom in the morning."

"But it helps me wake up."

She glanced at her clock. "It's six thirty in the morning. What are you even doing awake?"

"I never fell asleep. That couch isn't exactly great for my back." He eyed her room longingly, and Cress's mouth dropped open.

"Don't even think about it. You are not sleeping with me."

"Words that would've helped both of us in Vegas."

She fisted her hands on her hips. "This is not my fault."

He strode past her into the bathroom and examined his hair in the mirror. "I'm just saying, there's no way I would've gotten married on my own."

"That's because you can't get married on your own. It requires two people."

His lips formed a lazy grin in the mirror, but he kept his eyes on himself. "I can think of more fun things that require two people."

She couldn't believe that they hadn't even lived together for twenty-four hours and she already wanted to murder him. "I have to go. With the court case and you being here yesterday, I didn't have time to prep any meals for work, which means I'll have to waste my money buying lunch at the school cafeteria today. Since you'll be home all day, you can take care of dinner for us."

"Us?"

"Yes, Thorne, us. As much as it pains both of us, we live here now together. And as long as you're not contributing to rent, you can contribute to other things that need to get taken care of. Like food. When I get back tonight, I can tell you where the cheapest place to shop for food is in this neighborhood, and then you can take care of groceries from now on as well."

Thorne finally drew his gaze away from the mirror. "No problem."

She was surprised at how quickly he agreed, expecting him to give some argument about why he couldn't do even that.

"So, you'll have dinner ready tonight?"

"When do you get home?"

She ran through the schedule in her mind before responding. "School ends at 3:00, but I'm supervising an extracurricular fitness class, so I probably won't leave until at least 5:00. I should be back around 5:30-6:00."

"Have a great day, honey."

She wanted to tell him to drop his pet names, but Cress was already reeling from how much being assertive in the last five minutes had made her tired and uncomfortable, so she only shook her head. "Bye."

If it was weird to leave a stranger in her apartment the entire day, neither of them said anything.

"Oh, Cress?"

She looked over her shoulder, already halfway out the door.

"I need your key."

"My what?"

"Your key to the apartment. How am I supposed to get any food if I can't even leave?" He stepped out of the bathroom again, still in his towel, and held out his hand.

Cress clutched the keys in her purse. "I'm not leaving you alone in my apartment with my key."

He blinked. "But I don't want to be trapped here all day."

Cress mustered up one last bit of courage. "You're a convicted felon, Thorne. What's stopping you from stealing everything in my apartment while I'm gone?"

Thorne looked at his feet, then back at her. His lips had pressed into a thin line. "If I wanted to steal from your apartment, I wouldn't need a key. In fact, I'm trying to make sure your possessions remain safe in the event that I do leave the apartment, so no one else can break in."

He looked sincere, and kind of pissed off, but Cress didn't have any reason to trust him yet. "For now, stay in the apartment. It's only a few hours."

"It's _twelve_ hours!"

Cress felt like she was on the verge of tears. "I can't do this. I'm late to work."

"Just give me your key, Cress. I promise I'll be here when you get home to let you in."

"No." She slammed the door behind her and ran down the stairs, a strange paranoia setting in that Thorne would chase her and wrestle her for her key.

As she made her way to work, her whole body shook, but when she replayed their conversation, she felt bad. Despite everything that had happened, Thorne had never treated her unkindly, when in reality, he'd already had many opportunities to con her or disrespect her, if that was how he operated. She realized that maybe she was the one who was being unreasonable.

But then again, a conman probably wouldn't be successful if he was always mean and pushing people away.

She had trouble focusing for the first hour at school, but soon the usual stress of her students — and their parents — took over and she forgot that Thorne was alone in her apartment, and that she was technically married to him.

* * *

Cress let herself into her apartment around 7:00, having already texted Thorne to tell him she'd be late, but he hadn't responded, and Cress worried that he was mad at her. Their first morning together had not gone over very well, and she didn't have any energy left for more confrontations. She just wanted to get some food in her body, climb in her pajamas and snuggle in her bed. Since Thorne was now permanently on her couch, she figured she couldn't do any relaxing there for the next six months, considering how awkward it had been yesterday as Thorne had watched TV while she'd just sat there as if she were actually visiting his apartment, and not the other way around.

She had also texted Cinder about the keys, and her best friend had assured her that giving Thorne a key would be the right thing to do in this situation, and that Cress needed to remember that Thorne was there basically by court order, so stealing anything wouldn't be ideal for him if he was still set on his old ways. She was late because she'd stopped to make him an extra set so he'd have one tomorrow.

"I'm home," Cress called.

She stepped into her apartment, but Thorne wasn't in the living room. Most of his boxes were still unpacked, though she noticed that he'd installed a new gaming console into her media stand. On the kitchen table was an untouched box of delivery pizza, a can of Coke, and a side of wings.

Cress's lips curled. _Pizza?_ That was his extravagant meal after being left alone the whole day? She opened the fridge; there was enough in there to make several dishes, even if he hadn't been able to get new groceries! And she'd had pizza at the school cafeteria today!

Oh no, had she married a guy who didn't know how to cook?

She texted Scarlet with this update, begging her to make sure Thorne learned some cooking basics while he was living here. But when she sent the message, she realized that she still didn't know where Thorne was. Her apartment door had been locked, so had he left anyway, and locked himself out?

Despite her rumbling stomach, she went to her bedroom to change out of her work clothes. But she stopped in her tracks when she pushed open the door.

Thorne was lying in her bed.

He was sprawled out on his stomach on top of her still-made bed, one hand under her pillow and the other haphazardly at his side. He wore only sweatpants, and his chest moved up and down in the perfect rhythm of sleep. Cress almost opened her mouth to protest. _He'd gone into her bedroom without permission_. He was on her _bed_.

But when she remembered that she'd essentially locked him in her apartment the whole day, she couldn't bring herself to do it. And besides, he smelled really good. Whatever product he was wearing gave her room a delicious scent. One that now came back to her from their night together in Vegas.

He said he hadn't been able to sleep, and she had arrived home later than she anticipated, so maybe she needed to cut him some slack — just tonight. Besides, if he was in here, then she could enjoy The Bachelor out in the living room without having to worry about him sitting next to her.

She tiptoed around her room and pulled out a pair of pajamas — not the rocketship ones — and a hoodie. She closed the door behind her, warmed up a piece of pizza, and snuggled into her couch alone.

They could talk about boundaries tomorrow when she gave him his key.


	9. Chapter 9

Dr. Fallow frowned as she listened to Cress's brief summary of her trip to Vegas, how she'd met Thorne, and then everything that happened after that. She took copious notes, nodding from time to time, mostly impassive, but one penciled eyebrow shot in the air as Cress detailed everything with Judge Blackburn and how they'd ended up here, at a court-ordered psychologist.

Cress left out how they had only pretended to live together for two weeks before the court case and focused on how they now wanted a divorce.

"Well," Dr. Fallow finally said, "I will admit this is an unusual case. I often see couples who are looking for counseling as they seek a divorce, but never something like this." She placed her notepad on the desk and crossed her stockinged legs.

Cress thought she saw Thorne's eyes drift to those legs. Dr. Fallow couldn't be much older than Thorne, but the idea that Thorne was checking out their therapist made Cress burn with an anger she'd been trying not to show all week. Would he openly hit on her too?

Dr. Fallow smiled. "Between the three of us, Judge Blackburn is known to be…difficult. But she _is_ a judge, and there's not much you can do at this point besides make the best out of the next six months. So let's try to work on that here."

Thorne smiled back. "Whatever you say, Doc."

"So, how are things going?"

"Great," Thorne said immediately.

Cress pressed her lips together. If he was going to pretend everything was great, then maybe she needed to as well. They hadn't talked about their appointment at all; they hadn't talked about hardly anything this week. Cress's calendar had simply reminded her of the appointment and she'd reminded Thorne.

Dr. Fallow frowned. "I'm sorry, did I misunderstand Mrs. Thorne's explanation of the situation? Are you no longer seeking a divorce?"

"Aces, no, of course I am." Thorne draped a leg over the couch's armest and gestured at Cress. "We both are."

Dr. Fallow arched an eyebrow at Thorne. "And yet you're 'great'?"

"Neither of us want to be in this marriage. The court practically ordered us to stay together for another six months. So yes, divorce sounds great."

"I was referring to now. Today. How are you today, Mr. Thorne?"

He gave a thumbs up. "Still great."

"Hmm." The psychologist played with a stray curl from her bushy ponytail as she turned to Cress.

"And you, Mrs. Thorne?"

"Can we not call her that?" Thorne said before Cress could respond. "It's just…neither of us want to be married. Cress didn't change her name or anything. It's weird. And you can just call me 'Thorne.' No 'Mr.' is necessary."

Dr. Fallow kept her eyes on Cress. "What would you like me to call you?"

She looked down and mumbled, "Just Cress, please."

"And are you great as well?"

Cress couldn't look at either of them. But as the last week came crashing down on her, Cress shook her head. Slowly at first, then fervently. "No. I'm not great at all."

"Cress, can I speak with you in private for a minute?" Thorne hissed.

She shook her head again. Maybe Thorne could keep pretending that everything was fine but she couldn't. "No, I don't want to speak with you in private. I don't even want be in this room with you. I don't want to live with you. And I don't want to be married to you." The stress from everything since Vegas overflowed in the form of tears and she wiped them away, embarrassed. "I just want my life back."

"Cress…" Thorne trailed off though, as Dr. Fallow held up her hand.

"Let Cress continue. That's why we're here."

"My apartment is really small," she said, sniffing. "It's not meant for two people. Especially two people who don't like each other."

"Hang on, we—"

"Please wait your turn, Mr. Thorne."

The couch shifted. Out of the corner of her eyes, Cress saw Thorne sit up straighter with his arms crossed. Okay, Dr. Fallow was growing on her. At least she would be assertive where Cress had not managed to do so. Maybe this actually _would_ be helpful.

"Go on, Cress."

"It's really hard to live with someone already—and then someone I don't know? I mean Thorne acts like everything is so awesome but maybe that's because he has no responsibilities and no concept of boundaries? I have a full-time job and afterschool activities I supervise and then I often have to grade at home too. Even though I told Thorne I wanted help with groceries he hasn't really done anything—"

"You said you were going to show me where to go! I was waiting for you because I thought you were particular about certain brands or something and—"

Cress cut Thorne off this time, pointing a finger at him. "So I have to take the initiative? He sits around all day at home and then when I get back from work he hogs the couch—"

"My _bed_."

"—so then I can't even relax out there at all! I need to unwind after a long day of work. I'm really introverted so having someone around all the time is so exhausting."

Thorne scoffed. "It's not like I'm used to living with someone else either."

"You lived with Kai," Cress said. "And I'm gone for most of the day. Can't you leave in the evenings so I can have some alone time?"

His lips pressed into a thin line, but for once he didn't say anything.

Dr. Fallow's eyes went between the two of them, and Cress jumped on the chance to make sure she knew the whole story. "The first day I left him alone in my apartment, I got home and he was sleeping in my bed even though we agreed he would sleep on the couch."

"The couch from hell," Thorne said. "My back is killing me. And let's not forget you locked me in your house." He jerked his thumb at Cress as he addressed Dr. Fallow. "She wouldn't give me a key."

"I was late that day because I made you a key!"

"And I fell asleep on the bed because I waited for you for like two hours to come home for dinner, got bored, and just sort of collapsed. Sue me."

Cress threw up her hands. "On the third night, he finally went out. I got to watch TV and dozed off and like, thank the _stars_ I set my alarm clock to repeat during the week because I woke the next day still on the couch and Thorne was sleeping in my bed again!"

"I was _trying_ to be considerate. I know I don't like being woken up every time you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night."

"He's lived with me for a week and he still hasn't unpacked. His boxes are everywhere. All he did was unpack one box and drop random things in the living room. Like model planes and the creepiest dolls I've ever seen. DOLLS!"

Thorne let out a strangled gasp. "Those aren't creepy. They're Venezuelan Dream Dolls and one day they're going to be antiques and make me a ton of money."

Cress couldn't answer. Just the thought of the dolls' faces at night as she crept to the bathroom was enough to make her shudder. How Thorne could sleep with them surrounding him was unfathomable to her.

"Cress makes it sound like everything is my fault," Thorne told Dr. Fallow, "but if we're going there, why don't we talk about Cress too? She signed my email up on job search engines so I get fifty emails a day from fake recruiters." He glared. "Take about an invasion of privacy."

Cress rolled her eyes. "You're the one who left your email to automatically log into _my_ computer every time I open a browser."

"It's the main computer in the living room! It's not like I'm using your private laptop. And—if I were a jerk—I could, because you have what, six?"

"I'm a technology teacher. Of course I have several laptops."

"And you can't share the one that you've conveniently set up in my _bedroom_?"

"It's my living room!"

Dr. Fallow made a T with her hands. "Time out. Yelling at each other is not productive."

Neither of them said anything.

"It sounds like both of you had different expectations for how this time together would go, and both of you are feeling slighted that those expectations aren't being met."

"Aces, Doc, if that's not the truth." Thorne leaned back in the couch. "Cress was so cool in Vegas. She was fun and interesting and cute—okay, she's still cute, I'll give her that—and had this touch of wild that keeps a guy interested, if you know what I'm saying."

Cress's jaw dropped open. _Wild?_ That was one adjective no one in the world would ever use to describe her. But then she looked down at the ring on her finger—the one she'd put on only today in case this session had gone differently and she'd had to pretend she wanted to be married—and realized, how could Thorne think anything different of her? She had specific notions in her mind about Thorne from their time together in Vegas. And people who got married in Vegas after one drunken hookup? Didn't she consider those people wild too?

"I thought we could have fun these six months," Thorne continued. "Neither of us want commitment and we're stuck together either way."

If her jaw had dropped before, it now scraped the floor. What had he expected? A live-in booty call? A six-month hook-up while they shared the same space?

Dr. Fallow frowned at Thorne. "So you were expecting the relationship to continue sexually?"

Thorne shrugged. "I mean, I didn't _expect_ it. But when I first learned we'd have to live together, I figured, hey, we had fun in Vegas, so could it really be that bad? Like I said, Cress was cool."

"Thorne," Dr. Fallow said gently—too gently, according to Cress—"while you may have had a great time with each other the first two weeks of your new marriage while living together, most women won't want the same intimacy—emotionally or physically—while seeking a divorce."

Thorne opened his mouth but shut it again quickly. Cress knew he had caught himself before he gave away that they'd shammed the whole living-together-thing in front of Judge Blackburn. Thorne was silent a moment before his expression turned sour. "Like I said, that's what I was thinking _before_ last week. Instead it's like I have another parole officer. She treats me like a criminal. But I already did my time." He turned to Cress. "I know you're better than me, okay? Do you have to remind me every day?"

Heat crept up Cress's cheeks.

"Hmm," Dr. Fallow said. She pulled out her notepad again and scribbled something.

"I'm just really overwhelmed," Cress blurted. "I thought Thorne was really fun too, from what I remember of Vegas. But then in the morning when we woke up, he left me alone in his hotel room and turned into this arrogant charmer. Maybe that's how he always was," she hurried to say, "and I don't remember well enough because I drank too much."

Her stupid tears came again. "I didn't mean to make Thorne feel bad, but I don't know how to act around him." She shook her head. "And when I get home from work I'm just so _stressed_ and then he's just there and…"

She trailed off, and Dr. Fallow leaned forward. "What are your other stressors?"

"Huh?"

"You've mentioned a few times that you're overwhelmed, and it seems like it's not just because of Thorne. You're a teacher, right?"

Cress nodded. "Sixth grade technology."

"Do you like your students?"

She glanced nervously at Thorne, but he only cocked his head, listening. "I love my students. There's always a few trouble makers but…it's the parents. They're very involved and sometimes…they don't like the grades I give my students?"

"You're strict?" Thorne said.

She straightened. "No, I'm fair. If someone doesn't do the homework, I can't give them the same grade as those who do. The parents come in and complain. Some of them…often."

"Are they aggressive?" asked Dr. Fallow.

Cress swallowed before nodding and admitting, "I'm kind of shy."

"Shy?" Thorne laughed. Then, realizing she was serious, cleared his throat. "Oh."

"Parent-teacher conferences are coming up and I'm already preparing all the notes for that and I already know which parents aren't going to like what I have to say. If I can even say it at all. They bulldoze me sometimes. Before I can even get a word out. Then they leave and I—I just want to cry."

She looked at her hands, embarrassed to admit this in front of Thorne, who already thought she was so boring and so uncool compared to his impression of her in Vegas. She doubted he had any problems standing up for himself.

"I made a New Year's resolution to be more assertive, but it's not going very well," she admitted. "I was going to tell Thorne to stay out of my bed and a bunch of other things, but after asserting myself at school, sometimes I just…can't. I just want to relax and not think but then Thorne is at home where I need to relax." She faced him. "But those are my problems, and you're right, I've been taking it out on you. I'm sorry."

He waved his hand. "Therapy already cured me."

Cress turned back to Dr. Fallow. "And then there's my friends. They're really great but they were supposed to be more supportive during this time with Thorne being here but everyone is caught up in their own lives, which makes sense." Her cheeks burned again. Thorne had only lived with her for a week. "But they all met romantic prospects in Vegas too and they all have jobs and one of my friends keeps pestering me to sleep with Thorne and—"

She shut herself up.

Thorne raised an eyebrow this time.

Dr. Fallow made another note. "Is there anything outside of work or your living arrangement with Thorne that we can take off your plate to help you destress a little? It seems those two things, unfortunately, might not be immediately fixable, though we can address both of them here, in our weekly meetings."

"Umm…." Cress took in Thorne and wished for the millionth time that week that he would just disappear, but she just sighed. "There's this charity date auction thing my friend Winter is working on. It's for a good cause but it's a lot of work and though theoretically it'll get me _out_ of the house and around my friends, I think it's a little too much for me to handle?" But she held up her hands just as quickly. "But I could never tell Winter that. She'd be devastated. I committed to it several months ago."

Dr. Fallow folded her hands together. "What if Thorne helped?"

"What?" Thorne said.

"You don't have a job and Cress needs some time to be alone in her apartment from time to time."

Thorne held up his hands. "Just a sec, Doc. Let's not over-exaggerate. It's not like I'm a hermit. I go out. I've only been staying in this past week because I'm trying to get used to the situation and while I gathered Cress wasn't entirely comfortable with the situation, I figured it was better to be there than come home late at night when she needs to work the next day."

"I think it would be a positive thing, though, on your end, to help Cress out with something as a show of goodwill, since you did move into _her_ apartment."

Cress could have hugged Dr. Fallow.

"And," she continued, "this way Cress can get out of helping with the charity date auction without letting down her friend. I think it's a wonderful idea."

Thorne snorted. "Because you came up with it."

Cress bit her lip. "It could work. I think Winter will need help one or two days a week."

Thorne let out a noise of protest. "That's a lot!"

"For a few hours," Cress said. "And as Dr. Fallow pointed out, you're not working."

"I'm looking," Thorne grumbled.

"Could you think about helping Winter out, Thorne?"

He looked like he didn't want to agree. "I'll _think_ about it."

"Wonderful." Dr. Fallow smiled at Cress. "Now, Cress, what's something positive you appreciate about Thorne?"

"W-What?"

"I'd like you to tell Thorne one positive thing you've noticed about him this week."

Cress racked her brain. Was it a trick? But then she thought of how hurt Thorne looked every time she reminded him of his past, and thought hard. The first thing that came to mind was that he was gorgeous, but that wouldn't help the situation much, especially if Thorne still had any thoughts about them ever hooking up again. "Um, he smells nice?"

Thorne let out a laugh.

"I mean—not just him. He bought new soap for the shower. I haven't really figured out what it is but it smells really good and…and my skin feels really soft after I use it."

"I have sensitive skin," Thorne told Dr. Fallow. "Cress's soap made me dry up the first day so I got a huge pack of the stuff I use. It's awesome."

"R-Right," Cress said.

"Good." Dr. Fallow beamed. "We're almost out of time, but I hope you'll consider thinking of ways you can help each other out over the next week. Perhaps even spending some time getting to know each other." She held up her hands. "I know that probably seems like the last thing someone should do when waiting for a divorce to finalize, but seeing as you two only just met a few weeks ago, I think it'll make your next six months more bearable. Both of you can bring positive things to your dynamic, if you'll only just try not to view the other as the enemy." She stood. "Oh, and might I suggest getting a pull-out bed or futon for the living room while Thorne is staying there? If you're not able to purchase one, perhaps a Rent-A-Center?"

Cress didn't know where she'd put the couch she already had, but she nodded as she got up and was ushered out of the room. She stood awkwardly in the lobby with Thorne as they waited to schedule their follow up appointment.

"I like her," Thorne said. "She was hot in a nerdy kind of way."

Cress studied the carpet at her feet.

Thorne cleared his throat. "Listen, though, she's right. You don't really know anything about me, I don't really know anything about you…"

He was silent until she looked up at him again. "If you let me get a pull-out bed, I'll help out with your auction thingy. Which means you'll have at least two nights on your own. And, if you want, I can go out more at night, so long as it doesn't bother you if I come home later."

Cress squinted. "Could you be quiet if you come home late?"

He pressed a finger to his lips. "Criminal mastermind quiet."

Her eyes widened only an instant before she smacked him in the gut with her purse.

"Friends?" he asked with a grin.

Cress looked at his outstretched hand, took a deep breath, and shook on it. "Friends."


	10. Chapter 10

Thorne grabbed two beers from the fridge and held one out to Kai.

Kai took it absentmindedly, his other hand still playing with his cell. Thorne popped the cap off his own bottle and watched his buddy type a message, delete it, rewrite it, delete it again, stare at his screen, and finally placed his beer on the side table next to the couch.

Thorne sighed. "Are you still trying to compose a sonnet for Cinder?"

Kai's ears turned red. "It's not a sonnet, Thorne, just a text message expressing my desire to see her."

"If you express your desire to see her one more time, she'll probably issue a restraining order."

"As someone who is more familiar with restraining orders than you, I can tell you —"

"Stop. You're acting so desperate."

"I haven't texted her in three days!"

"And how long has it been since she texted you?"

Kai finally pocketed his cell and ran his hands through his hair. "Five days. But that's better than before, when she was completely ignoring me. What does Cress think about it?"

Thorne raised an eyebrow. "I haven't talked to her about it."

"You said you would, on the way to her apartment."

"When?"

"When I helped you move in."

Thorne took a slow sip of his beer. He'd thought and said a lot of things before moving into Cress's apartment. None of those things had turned out to be accurate, so he wasn't surprised that he'd forgotten about anything he'd said to Kai about his romantic troubles with Cinder.

Kai stood. "What are you two doing tonight?"

"Nothing."

"So you're just hanging out at her apartment together?"

Thorne rolled his eyes. "No, I'm avoiding her apartment. Hence why I'm here."

"What?"

He didn't appreciate Kai's judgy face.

"You heard what I said."

"Let me get this straight." Kai joined him where he stood by the TV. "You're not actually here to hang out with me. You're here to avoid your wife."

"Fake wife. And don't pretend like you're offended. You're thrilled someone is here to listen to complain about your unrequited love."

"It's not unrequited! We had literally the best night of our lives, and then something happened that freaked her out." Kai ran his hand through his hair again. He sighed dramatically, and just when Thorne thought he'd finally calmed down, Kai gasped. "I can't believe I didn't see it before! You're the problem, Thorne."

Thorne scoffed. "Excuse me, I have nothing to do with your love problems."

But Kai was already pacing across the room like he'd had an epiphany. "No, no. Everything was going really great, even at the hotel restaurant that morning. But everything has been off since the courtroom. And now that I think about it, I get it. Cinder told me how important her friendships are to her. She and Cress have been friends the longest. And now, Cinder is stuck in the middle."

"Cinder isn't stuck in the middle of anything."

Kai wagged a finger at him. "Girls protect each other. That's what they do. You treated Cinder's best friend like shit, so of course she's not going to go out with me, _your_ best friend."

Thorne scowled into his beer. "I didn't treat anyone like shit. It takes two people to get married, and I can guarantee you it wasn't my idea in the first place."

"I'm not talking about that. You left her in your hotel room after you hooked up. What kind of man does that?"

"I'll tell you—"

"A player, that's who."

"I'm not a player!"

Kai waved his hand, now muttering to himself. "And then it was clear Cress didn't know about your criminal past. But Cinder knows about your criminal past, so who knows what she's said about you to Cress? That would influence Cress's opinion as well, and thereby also influence Cinder's decisions about me. As long as everyone thinks you're a jerk, why wouldn't they assume I'm a jerk too?"

"You are a jerk."

"And now you're avoiding Cress."

Thorne made a big T with his hands. "Time out. You're making a whole lot of assumptions here, and frankly, none that I appreciate. Cress asked me to leave the apartment. In therapy, she said she feels uncomfortable with me being around at night. So, here I am, making sure that my fake wife is comfortable in her own home."

"But the fact that she even _is_ uncomfortable—"

"Just stop."

"No, you stop. Your actions reflect poorly on me. Why can't you at least try to be nice? Make her feel comfortable?"

"Aces. I just told you that I'm doing that. I've been gone every night for a week, literally only coming home when I know she's already asleep, and then by the time I wake up, she's already at work. So stop putting this on me."

"How are you going to repair your marriage if you're never there?"

Thorne threw his hands up. "You know what, I don't have to listen to this. I already get to hear all my flaws at marriage counseling and I don't need lectures from you about how to be a good fake husband to someone I'm trying to get a divorce from." He checked his watch. "It's only six o'clock. I'll see myself out."

"Wait, wait."

Thorne turned, but his hand was already on the doorknob.

Kai hurried over. "Now that we figured out the problem, this is only a temporary setback. We can fix it."

Thorne opened the door. "There is no 'we.' Only you, Cinder, Cress, and everyone else who thinks I'm a cad."

"Oh Thorne, buddy, come on, I didn't mean it like that."

He pulled out his phone and showed Kai his messages. "For your information, I've had five women interested in hooking up with me since I got married in Vegas. Five. Have I hooked up with any of them?"

"Thorne—"

"No, I have not, Kai. Because even though I'm required to live with Cress in a home that she doesn't even want me in, I'm getting zero benefits out of this marriage, cheating while waiting for a divorce is common, and even my best friend has turned on me, I'm not as awful as you all seem to think I am."

Kai ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I didn't think about it that way. I just really don't want to ruin my chances with Cinder."

Thorne only grunted.

"I know you're not excited about this marriage, man. I didn't mean to put extra stress on you."

"Whatever, it's fine. It is what it is."

"Look, I was only trying to point out what Cinder and Cress might perceive. But we could help each other out. Change the girls' perceptions of us."

"I really don't care what they think of me. I'm getting a divorce from Cress and Cinder is clearly not the friend I thought she was." Thorne pushed the elevator button, but when the door opened, Kai followed him inside.

"Okay, then help _me._ I just want a chance to get to know Cinder better. If I didn't think she liked me, I wouldn't be pushing it. Come on, I let you live in my apartment for free for a year."

Thorne almost laughed. "Wow. Insulting me didn't work, so now you're laying on the guilt?"

"Just try to be nice to Cress. Not just by avoiding her, but also when you're around her. Little by little, she'll see the Thorne everyone else knows and loves." Kai gestured at Thorne's phone, as if the five women who'd propositioned him were a great judge of character. "And…come out on a group date with me."

This time, Thorne actually did laugh. "What is a group date, exactly?"

Kai hustled after Thorne as he began exiting the building. "Just one night. You, Cress, me, Cinder, and any other friends they want to invite."

"So, like a double date but with more than four people?"

"Exactly! But we'll drop the word _date_ , since neither Cress or Cinder will probably appreciate that word." Kai snapped his fingers. "That girl Iko was really excited for all of us to hang out. What about suggesting to Cress that we do a group date that's not a date?"

"Are you getting gray hairs already, Kai?"

"I'll get one if you say no."

"Cress has literally no reason to go on a date with me."

Kai clasped his hands together, begging. "Please do this for me. Help me redeem myself in front of Cinder. And I'll put in a really good word for you in return. Maybe Cress will warm up to the idea of you hanging out at her apartment, rather than needing to be gone every night."

Thorne snorted. "And what exactly are we all supposed to be doing on this group date that's not a date?"

Visible relief spread through Kai's features. He hugged Thorne unexpectedly. "Just get them to agree, and I'll take care of everything else."

"Alright," Thorne said as he pulled away. "I'll see what I can do."

Thorne left a newly-enthusiastic Kai standing in front of his apartment and headed down the street. He scrolled through this messages, pausing when he saw the latest one from Elia, who had taken his phone and inserted her number into it herself "just in case" he got a digit wrong. With thick black hair and a persistent dimple in one cheek, she'd been particularly hard to resist, and it was even harder to resist responding to the flood of messages she sent him even now. He'd been polite but elusive, something that often worked as a nice way to turn women down, but had only seemed to encourage Elia. Now that it was the weekend again, she'd been hitting him up to invite him out—"whatever you want, Thorne."

Whatever he wanted would probably include a lot of her appreciating all he had to offer. Which would be a welcome difference from everything he'd experienced with Cress and Cinder so far and now, with Kai.

But Kai, despite his flaws and tunnel vision when it came to Cinder, _had_ helped him out last year. He'd helped him out for more than that, really. Kai was the only person Thorne could count on these days, and he wasn't about to throw that way for some chick.

With a sigh, he deleted Elia's latest flattering invite and kept scrolling til he found the thread that included the few brief texts he and Cress had exchanged. Some of his annoyance tried to wiggle its way to the surface, but Thorne once again called up the personification of a perfect gentleman.

 _Hey, Cress. Hope you had a nice day at work. If it's okay with you, I'll be home for dinner tonight. Want me to pick up anything on the way?_

He pressed send and started on his way back to the other side of L.A., hoping that the long trip would give him enough time to think of how he was going to ask Cress out. The very idea annoyed him. Wasn't that the point of being married? You didn't have to think of how to date your wife?

He shook his head. This wasn't a date. Cress wasn't his wife.

Then again, all signs pointed to yes: They couldn't stand each other, slept in different rooms, didn't have sex, went to marriage counseling, and were on the path to divorce.

Yep, he was married.

Thorne kicked at a garbage can on the side of the road.

Regret wasn't supposed to be in his vocabulary. But he couldn't think of anything else to describe New Year's Eve in Vegas.


	11. Chapter 11

Cress couldn't believe she'd let her girls talk her into going to a club. It was Saturday, she wanted to sleep, and the last time she'd gone out with them she'd ended up married. Plus, Thorne was going. Thorne, Kai, Jacin—even Ze'ev. It was like a repeat of Vegas, and Cress was a mess.

She came out of the bathroom. "Does this look okay?"

Thorne was on his pullout bed, which was collapsed into the couch. It was weird to have him home, since he'd been gone every night, and Cress had only glimpsed his sleeping form as she tiptoed to get breakfast for herself. He'd been nice enough yesterday, the first time he'd shown up for dinner the whole week. After being nervous around him for most of the meal, he'd invited her to watch a movie with her on the couch. She'd barely relaxed then too, but he'd shared the popcorn with her and turned down the volume when she'd gotten tired before the movie ended and retired to her room. And since he was home, she might as well take advantage of a male opinion.

She thought he'd offer a noncommittal nod, but he sat up straighter. She forced herself not to blush as she let his eyes move over her form.

"It's a nice color," he said finally. "Brings out your eyes."

"You don't sound convinced."

"It's just…nevermind."

"What?"

"I'm not saying it."

Cress put her hands on her hips. "Say it. Consider this a free pass."

He hesitated. "It's a good slinky material and all, but with the long sleeves? Okay, sure they have those satin beads at the cuffs but it kind of…reminds me of a job interview outfit?"

Cress turned. Her lips burst into a delighted smile when she heard a barely-covered choking sound. The back was low, and without a bra, showed off most of her back to her lower waist. Only when she'd regained her composure did she turn back to face him.

Thorne coughed into his hand. "I see what you mean."

"Still think it's for a job interview?"

"No. Don't wear that to a job interview. However." Thorne stood and circled her, arms crossing. "Now that I've seen the whole picture, it seems too…fancy. For this club." He gestured at his slacks and shirt. "I'm not even wearing a tie. It's more chic than fancy."

Kai had gotten them passes to a new jazz club opening, and with the Lunars headlining, the girls hadn't wanted to turn them down. Of course, Cress had never heard of the Lunars, but Iko and Winter had assured her that this was _the_ cool event to go to in LA.

"You don't look very chic," she blurted.

He drew back, offended. "I don't look good?"

Stars, he always looked good.

"You don't look chic. Whatever that means."

"I like what I'm wearing."

Instead of arguing with him, she went back to her room and changed. She picked a black dress with a similar style but had short sleeves this time and a more flowy skirt that ended at her knees.

"You really like those V-cut low-whatever dresses, huh," Thorne commented.

"It elongates my short body."

He didn't say anything.

"What about these lacy shoulders? Too fancy for a jazz club?"

"No one's gonna be looking at your shoulders when you've got a naked back to look at."

She fisted her hands on her hips. "Thorne. Is this dress better than the last dress?"

His eyes trailed over her one last time. "Yep. This dress. Ready?"

"I need shoes."

She expected him to sigh like every guy who'd ever waited for her to get ready, but Thorne actually joined her in her room and helped her pick out the ones that "made her legs look amazing."

She might have made a joke about how metrosexual he was, but the shoes he picked did actually make her legs look amazing. Except they were heels. She hated heels. The last time she'd worn heels like this she'd gotten married.

"I'm overdressed," she said.

"I'm underdressed," Thorne countered. "But, not to worry." He rummaged around his boxes, which were still packed, but he'd labeled a few of them now. In the one that said EVENING, he pulled out a black tie and a black fedora. He made quick work of the tie, not even needing a mirror to get it right, and tipped the fedora at her. "Nothing like this hat to say _jazz_."

His phone vibrated in his pocket and his forehead creased as he read the message.

"Everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah, just Kai checking in." He shoved the phone back in his pocket. "Shall we?"

Cress smoothed down her dress, suddenly nervous. It felt like a date. A date with Thorne. Especially when he held the door open for her like a gentleman and ordered an Uber on his phone, paid, and then held the car door for her when they got out at the jazz club. His fingertips just barely brushed her bare back as he ushered her forward past the bouncer.

It was not the club Cress had expected. It was smaller and more intimate than the clubs she and her girls used to frequent in college, and since Cress had become a teacher she'd completely nixed that whole night scene from her life. The room was dark and backlit, with a small stage where a musician was already crooning next to a saxophone. Circular cocktail tables were near the middle, in front of which a crowd already stood—probably waiting for the Lunars, because they weren't dancing or even really swaying to this woman's song. Booths lined the two walls of the club, and Thorne checked his phone again and led her to the right side.

Relief spread through her at the sight of her girls. Iko was the first to rush up and hug her. "It's the newlyweds!" she squealed, then proceeded to hug Thorne too. Cress rushed away to greet Cinder and Scarlet, who sat at one of the semi-circled booths with Kai and Ze'ev. As Cress slid into the end seat, she had to be careful that the velvety cushion didn't ruck up her skirt.

"So what did I miss?" she said, eager to spend some time without Thorne. It had gone well enough, she supposed, but she was only here because she didn't want to be left out.

"I was just telling Ze'ev about my cooking," Scarlet said. She had piled her red curls into a huge bun, with little pieces coming down to frame her freckled face.

"And I was telling Scarlet I'd love to taste more of her food," Ze'ev said.

Scarlet winked. "I already told you, anytime."

"How about tomorrow?" Ze'ev said.

"Thought you'd never ask."

"I was telling Cinder that I like her dress," Kai said quietly. He had to lean over Ze'ev, who sat next to Scarlet. Cinder sat between Cress and Scarlet.

"Where are Winter and Jacin?" Cress asked after a moment, a little uncomfortable when Cinder fumbled with her prosthetic hand but didn't say anything.

"Cancelled," Cinder mumbled.

Cress put her arm around Cinder and whispered, "Why are you still ignoring Kai?"

Cinder elbowed her.

Before Cress could respond, Iko pulled Thorne over to their booth, her arm looped around his. "Who's ready to get in line for the Lunars?! They start in 15 minutes."

"Do we have to get in line?" Cinder said.

"Good point," Kai jumped in. "We can enjoy them from the privacy of this booth."

Their eyes met as everyone fell silent.

Cinder looked away first. "On second thought, an up-close-and-personal experience with the Lunars is a once in a lifetime experience! At least, that's what Iko said, right?" She shoved Cress out of the booth so quickly that Cress stumbled into Thorne and Iko. Iko was too busy shrieking with excitement that Cinder of all people wanted to join her, so Cress ended up shuffled to the side of Thorne, his hand now steady on her back. She hated the damn tingle that went down her back every time he touched her bare skin. But Thorne was watching Kai.

Who looked crushed.

Scarlet and Ze'ev shuffled out of the booth too, leaving the two of them staring at Kai.

"Uh, Cress, can you—"

"Right," Cress said, following Scarlet and Ze'ev.

The line was more of a small mob, and when the Lunars actually came on, everyone went nuts. They were good—more modern than Cress had expected, mixing classic jazz with an electronic beat that you could almost dance to. Scarlet and Ze'ev were dancing, at least.

But Cress pulled Cinder aside. "What is your problem?"

Cinder, who was clearly only feigning interest in the Lunars, didn't appreciate being called out. "I don't have a problem."

"There is a man over there"—Cress pointed at the booth where Kai and Thorne sat—"who's been trying to secure a second date with you for a month now. You said you had the best night of your _life_. What changed? Did he do something to you?"

"No, I—" She faltered when Kai and Thorne looked in their general direction. She threw her head back and laughed.

"Uh," said Cress, "what's happening?"

"Pretend we're laughing."

Cress pretended, but then turned both of them so their backs were to the boys. "And we did that because you don't care at all?"

"I told you, it's too good to be true. Kai is amazing. The most amazing guy I've ever met. Soon he'll find out—I'll find out—he'll have flaws. We both will. Something so good can't last."

"Why not?"

"It was one night, Cress. That's all."

Cress pointed at the ring she'd started wearing on her left hand now—her grandmother's ring on her dad's side—just in case one of Judge Blackburn's lackeys came out to inspect them. "One night can change everything."

Cinder let out a long breath.

"You're being mean to him, Cinder."

"I'm avoiding him. He probably doesn't even notice."

" _Everyone_ noticed. Is this about your past?"

"M-My…my what?"

Iko chose that moment to jump in between them and hug them both. "Ahh! The Lunars! Can you believe it?" Her voice grew somber. "We don't do this enough. We don't _see_ each other enough! We promised after college we wouldn't drift apart but we are already drifting sooo much."

"Iko—"

"Gahhh, time flies. Winter is engaged. Cress is _married_." She sniffed. "We're so old."

Cinder sniffed her breath. "How much have you had to drink?"

Iko forgot her sadness. "Enough that I might just ask one of _your_ two men to dance if neither of you jump on the opportunity!" Iko slinked toward them through the crowd, sashaying her hips and every so often elbowing someone when they got in the way of her catwalk.

"10 bucks says she goes for Kai," Cress said. "She did call dibs on him in Vegas before you stole her man."

"I did _not_ steal her man!"

Iko had reached their booth. She leaned over the table seductively, and Cress could just imagine her biting her lip at Kai and Thorne, neither of whom stood a chance against their friend.

"Then steal him now," Cress said. "Find out if this good thing can last. And between me and you"—Cress sighed, something heavy in her heart—"if I were the one who'd met Kai and had the night you did, I don't think I'd ever let him go. Your night sounded magical. It physically hurts me to see you throw him away."

Cinder peered at her, as if she believed Cress were just tricking her. But when Iko grabbed Kai's tie, Cinder took off. Cress stayed where she was, pressing on her tiptoes to see through the crowd. Someone bumped into her, but she kept focused on her best friend. Kai was on his feet by the time Cinder reached their table, and after Cinder made some gestures at the dance floor, Cress had never seen a man extricate himself from Iko's clutches so quickly. Iko grinned as Cinder and Kai moved awkwardly toward Cress, and Cress made sure to hide herself between people so Cinder couldn't use her as a crutch.

Cinder and Kai didn't dance, but they stood shoulder to shoulder, swaying slightly, their lips moving. _Good._ They were talking. It was a start.

She looked back at the booth, but it was empty. She moved toward it to get a better vantage point, and without being fully immersed in the crowd she saw that Iko was dancing with Thorne near the back, closer to the bar. Cress felt strange seeing them together. What would have happened if Iko had been the one to accidentally marry Thorne instead? They seemed a better match, even just with their good looks and charm.

Scarlet and Ze'ev were grinding hardcore, and it wasn't even grinding music. The Lunars' tune was more upbeat, and Cress liked it, but she didn't really feel like standing there and enjoying it on her own. So, a little reluctantly, Cress took a seat at a smaller booth, and pulled out her phone.

She took a few pictures of her friends dancing.

Scrolled through some older pics.

Got started on answering some of her students' emails.

"This seat taken?"

A black man with a gorgeous smile stared down at her. She glanced around, thinking he was addressing someone else, but he pointed at the spot across from her.

"Oh no, please."

She put her phone back into her purse, fiddled with the lace on her dress, then sat on her hands.

"I'm Anthony."

"Cress."

 _She didn't know what else to say she didn't know what else to say she didn't know—_

"I don't know about you," Anthony said, "but I never know what to say when I meet someone at one of these events." He laughed, almost nervously. "But I saw you sitting here, thought you were beautiful, and wanted to introduce myself."

"Oh." Cress blushed, smiled, and stuttered at the same time. "T-Thank you."

"Maybe—would you want to dance?"

Now she was the one with the nervous laugh. "I don't really know how"—she glanced at Scarlet and Ze'ev, who really needed a bedroom—"to dance to this kind of music. But I like talking. Even if I don't always know what to say either." She laughed again. "Or really, ever know what to say."

"I guess we have something in common."

A waiter brought them two beers, which Cress thanked Anthony for.

He smiled; she smiled. They were a table of smiles and Cress wished either of them would say anything at all.

"Cress! Hiii!"

She snapped her attention off Anthony's green eyes at Iko's happy screech. Iko had the subtlety of…well, she had no subtlety, really. Some days it was part of her charm. Today it was getting on her nerves.

"Who ya talkin' to?" Iko wiggled her way into the seat. Thorne followed her, hands in his pockets, looking a little embarrassed.

"This is Anthony," Cress said.

Iko gave him a wave, then put her arm around Cress. "I just had the most fun time dancing with your husband."

Cress cringed.

Anthony said, "Wait, you're married?"

Thorne held up his hands. "Technically, yes, but Cress is free to—"

"You're passing your wife off? Like an open marriage?"

Cress wanted to die.

Iko burst out laughing.

Anthony burst to his feet. "I am not into that." He went to leave, but then did a double take when he really took in Thorne. "Wait a minute. _Carswell_?"

"Uh…"

"Carswell _Thorne_?"

Now Thorne looked like he wanted to die.

An expression she'd never seen on him before.

Cress wanted to take a picture.

Iko, as usual, was the one to break the silence. "And how do you strapping young lads know each other?"

Anthony was shaking his head. "We were in school together. I was a year behind Thorne." His mouth dropped. "You're _married?_ "

Through a tight-lipped smile, Thorne said, "Considering you were just hitting on my wife, I'm surprised at the shock."

"Didn't you go to _jail_?"

Thorne's smile faltered. "Rumors."

"No, man, I saw it on the news. What was it again?" He looked to Cress and Iko for help, then snapped his fingers. "Grand theft auto! Petty theft too, if I remember correctly? You're a _legend._ My mom told me when I went to college, 'Have fun, but don't pull a Carswell Thorne.' Ha! This is such a blast from the past."

"Hey, Anthony?" Cress said quietly. "Can you leave us?"

"Aw, yeah, no worries, I'll leave you to your swinger ways." He walked away, laughing. "Man, wait til the guys hear about this. Carswell _Thorne_! Ha."

"Well," Iko said with a cringe, "sorry about that. Didn't mean to—yeah." She scampered away.

Thorne stood rooted to his spot, still watching Anthony.

Cress tugged on his hand. He startled.

"Forget him. He was rude."

He sat, his face blank. "I didn't ask Iko to come over here. I don't care if you're interested in a guy."

Cress drank some of her beer. "You don't?"

He lifted one shoulder. "Why should I?" He pulled out his phone, frowned, and texted someone before putting his phone away again.

"Are…Are you seeing someone?" she dared ask.

Thorne glanced up, his expression unreadable. "No."

"Okay."

"But that was uncomfortable. For everyone," he added. "I was just dancing with one of your friends. I think if you were dancing with Kai for a minute and then found me hitting on some woman, you'd probably be mortified."

"I was mortified just now too. He just—came over and—and—"

"And hit on you. I saw you flirting back." He tossed his fedora on the table. "Could you at least do it somewhere private?"

"I'm still getting used to the idea that I'm married! And I was caught off guard! Why would anyone hit on me?"

"You think no one's gonna hit on you in that dress?"

She took a sip of her beer. "I mean I'm not used to getting hit on ever!"

Thorne's eyes softened. "Ever?"

"I mean, not _never_ ever. But definitely not in a long time. I'm not the kind of person that goes out somewhere and comes back with a phone number or—or—" She gestured at Scarlet and Ze'ev. "Or brings someone home. I'm too awkward and uncomfortable and shy. I like getting to know guys first. Any relationship I've had has grown out of friendship, not hookups."

"But surely guys have approached you like Anthony did."

"They approach my friends. Usually Iko or Winter. And that's perfectly fine with me. My soulmate isn't hanging out a jazz club."

Thorne laughed a little. "Soulmate?

"You wouldn't understand."

"Didn't you say something about that when we—in Vegas, when we—"

She flushed. "I know _you_ told me we were soulmates when you tried to dump me in the hotel lobby." She pushed the second untouched beer bottle to him, desperate to change the subject. "You're right. I should have immediately told Anthony to go away. As long as Judge Blackburne thinks we're married, we shouldn't cheat on each other, fake or not." The words were bitter on her tongue. "Though many people aren't faithful during the divorce process."

Thorne clinked his beer bottle against hers. "That's what I said."

"But you said you're not seeing anyone?"

He lowered his bottle with a sigh. "This situation sucks, and it's weird, but I don't want to go back to jail. And I want that $25,000. So until those divorce papers come through…" He shuddered. "I guess I'm celibate."

Cress remembered the easy way with which he'd addressed women in Vegas, how he'd said he "didn't need" to come to Vegas to meet women. She wondered how often he spent the night with someone new, how hard this must be for him.

"I…appreciate that," she said. "I'm not planning on seeing anyone else either." The thought made her sad. What if she met her soulmate during this time? What if someone like Anthony—no, someone better than Anthony, worked up the courage to ask her out and she turned him down just because she was 'married'?

It was all too terrible.

"Hey, look." Thorne pointed at Kai and Cinder, who had squeezed into a small booth not far from them. Cress smiled, relieved.

Thorne texted something, then pocketed his phone. He stared at his beer, seemed to consider it, and pushed it away.

"You're not drinking?"

"Can I be honest?"

"Why shouldn't you be?"

Thorne cringed. It was a strange look on him. "It's a little crude."

Cress waved her hand. "Tonight is…a free pass, like I said."

"Well." He pushed the beer bottle further toward the center of the table. "The last time I had a lot to drink, I accidentally got married. So it's not that I've given up alcohol forever, or in small quantities, but I'm trying to cut myself off while I'm out with…" He paused, cleared his throat. Gestured at the crowd. "With women, to be blunt. Attractive women."

So that was how he was going to keep himself celibate. Cress looked to see which attractive women he might be interested in, but he only stared at her pointedly. She nearly squeaked. " _Me_?"

He gave a small laugh. "This would be easier with a drink. But yes, Cress, you're attractive. We wouldn't be in this situation if we didn't find each other attractive, right?"

She was about to argue that alcohol could negate attraction, but he almost looked like he wanted reassurance, like he wasn't sure at all anymore if Cress found him attractive, and that somehow, her opinion mattered to him. She swallowed almost nervously. "Right. Of course."

"I don't want to end up with any kids on top of everything."

" _Excuse me?_ "

He laughed at her indignation. "Don't worry. I'm _not_ thinking about that. It's just—we were lucky our drunk selves were responsible, you know? I used to think I was kind of invincible when it came to hooking up. One night of fun and done. Consensual, responsible, what's not to like? But after all this…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I wasn't looking to hook up with _anyone_ in Vegas and look what happened. I don't trust myself anymore."

"Well, I don't think we have to worry about that," she said, unable to look at him. "In Vegas it was different. We were attracted to each other and drunk, sure, but we were also high off that win, and we'd built up a good rapport before. Our rapport is kind of shot to hell now, don't you think?"

She dared peer up at him, but he was the one looking down now.

"Right, right, of course."

"Right."

After a moment of silence, Thorne said, "I didn't mean the drunk comment just about you. I meant anyone attractive. One wrong move and maybe I'm hooking up with Cinder next." He rubbed his eyes tiredly, but Cress frowned.

"Are you attracted to Cinder?"

"Oh—ha. She's cute but that came out wrong. I just—I'm not—I meant—I'm not sitting here thinking about hooking up with you. _Or Cinder_." He let out a frustrated breath. "I'm doing a terrible job of explaining myself. I want to be sure of the choices I make, can we leave it at that?"

Cress wasn't ready to leave it, though. "Did you and Cinder date?"

Thorne sat back in his plushy cushion with a sigh. "I dug my own hole with that one, didn't I?"

She managed a small smile.

"We definitely never dated. Happy?"

"But you were in prison together."

A beat. "You've just been waiting to bring that up, haven't you?"

Cress shrugged, but she couldn't deny it. With the way Cinder had been acting lately, it was hard not to believe Thorne's initial comment about their prison time had been true. But she needed to hear it again. "Cinder never shared that with me. With any of the girls. It's hard to believe."

"Ah."

"Is that all you're going to say?"

"Look, Cress." He smiled grimly. "Prison is different for everyone, but it does suck for everyone. If Cinder doesn't want to talk about it, I'm not going to tell her story."

"So she _was_ in prison."

"Yes."

There was no lie in his blue eyes, and really, of Cinder and Thorne, he was the one who had been honest about everything from the start. A strange bubbling in her stomach told her she felt uneasy, but she tried to ignore it. "I think the reason she hasn't wanted to see Kai is because she's afraid he'll find out."

"But Kai knows."

"He does?!"

Thorne nodded. "He's known since Vegas."

That was news to Cress, but Cinder had been secretive about everything concerning Kai—and her past—since Vegas as well. She leaned on their elbows at the same time Thorne did and together, they turned to look at Kai and Cinder, who were still in deep discussion. Kai's foot was dangerously close to Cinder's, but it looked like he didn't dare close the centimeter remaining between them. His hand rubbed his thigh nervously under the table, even if his face didn't gave away anything but serenity. Cinder, on the other hand, was not doing a great job not looking outwardly nervous. She played with her prosthetic hand, pulled on her ponytail, and looked down often. But whenever she did, she smiled brilliantly.

"She really likes him," Cress said softly. It almost felt like a betrayal to her best friend, telling her fake husband that, especially when he was Kai's best friend, but for some reason, Cress knew Thorne wouldn't use that information for bad.

"Kai is _obsessed_ with her," Thorne said, drawing his eyes away. "He made me set up this group date that isn't a date _thing_ just so he could see her again. He's been texting me all day freaking out."

Pleased that she'd shared after all, Cress extended her hand. "Give me the phone. Tell me _everything_."

* * *

 _Hmmm so as much as I love this story, it seems to be a dud with not just reviews but also view count. If you do like it and want it to continue, I'd love it if you could review/leave an encouraging note/anything. Like I said, it's fun to write, but based on the stats doesn't seem like people have continued with it. So I am not sure if I should keep writing it. Anyway, love to those reading. Happy snow day to the East Coast.  
_


	12. Chapter 12

"There."

Cress pressed send on the final text and leaned back in the couch as she dropped her cell in Thorne's lap. He snatched it up and absentmindedly passed her his own phone. She inspected his interactions with Kai, even though they'd already discussed what each of them would write.

"Good," she murmured. "Keep reminding him to not be so intense tonight. If he runs into the bathroom and texts you, alert me immediately."

Thorne laughed, a sound which made her lift her eyes from his cell. His eyes twinkled. "Yes, ma'am." He passed her back her cell. "Thanks for helping with this. Kai is…"

"Romantic?" she offered when he trailed off.

"I was going to say _intense_."

"And super romantic."

"Yeah, fine, he's romantic, but you can be romantic without being so intense."

"I think it's great."

"Great for you or great for Cinder?"

Cress felt her brow pinch. "What do you mean?"

"You like romance, but does Cinder? She doesn't seem to appreciate his gestures at all."

She frowned. "How do you know I like romance?"

He nudged her with his shoulder. "I've been paying attention. You want an epic romance, right? Soulmates and all that?"

"Oh." Her face heated a little as she thought back to everything they'd talked about the last two weeks. They'd mostly plotted Cinder and Kai's perfect first date, trying to merge both of their strengths and knowledge of their best friends together to create something magical. At least, Cress thought it was magical. She couldn't remember if she'd used that word in front of Thorne. If she had, it explained why he thought she liked romance.

The words _epic romance_ also jolted something in her memory—a foggy memory that wouldn't quite come back to her, but it involved their time in Vegas and a whole lot of time spent in Thorne's room. Her entire body grew warm and she hedged, "Well, I think romance will be good for Cinder. She isn't used to it, which is exactly why she deserves someone who will sweep her off her feet."

Thorne pointed at her cell. "If she can relax around him."

"Right, I'm working on it."

His cell lit up. Thorne snatched it up before Cress could, and she leaned over him to read the text from Kai at the same time: _She just got here! Wish me luck!_

Cress beamed.

"Tell Cinder to compliment his chocolatey-brown eyes."

She smacked Thorne playfully. "No, that's ridiculous. But I'm sure she'll stare at them all night. They're pretty dreamy."

"I've been told my eyes are dreamy."

Cress laughed. "They are. In fact, when we were in Vegas, I kept referring to you as Dreamy-Eyed Trouble in my mind."

Thorne turned to her. "You did?"

Something in Cress's breath hitched as he looked at her with those blue eyes. She realized that their shoulders were pressed up against each other on the couch, her hips slightly leaned against his as they both kept one hand on his phone.

She extricated herself and got up, brushing her jeans off like she'd spilled crumbs on them. "Well, yeah, of course," she said in what she hoped was an airy tone. "Cinder said you were trouble. We already talked about that."

"Right," Thorne said, standing up too. "And now that they're on their date and our work is done, I have a little surprise for us."

"You do?"

He winked at her. Cress watched him shuffle over to the kitchen, her eyes falling to his backside as he bent to pull something out of the fridge. Those sweats he wore in the evenings fit him as perfectly as everything else he wore. And the light gray shirt pulled nicely across his back, which she knew was strong and defined. She appreciated a good back. Appreciated the way it looked when he stepped out of the bathroom in just his towel. She had the sudden urge to go up behind him, wrap her arms around him, and kiss her way up his body. Preferably as she pulled up his shirt to feel the stomach that matched his perfect back.

Thorne straightened and reality—and shame—hit Cress in the face. She had to turn away and clear her throat. She was _not_ having those thoughts about him. Ugh. She needed to get a grip. So she was attracted to him. He'd admitted attraction to her too, but she doubted he was checking out _her_ ass whenever she moved around the apartment. She'd seen the numerous girls' names pop up in his text notifications as they'd worked on crafting messages to Kai and Cinder together. He had other girls to look at. _That_ was her problem. She just needed to spend more time with attractive men. Preferably alone. So she could learn not to drool over the first one who acknowledged her. Or married her.

Her cough turned into a choke.

Thorne gave her a few pats on the back. "You okay?"

She took a deep breath through her nostrils, her throat burning. "Great. Fabulous. What's your surprise?"

"Just a sec." He hid whatever he'd taken from the fridge behind his back and walked backward to his boxes and rummaged around there too.

He held up a stack of papers in one hand…and a bottle of champagne in the other.

"Kai finished our divorce papers!"

"O-Oh." Cress shook her head, still feeling a little dazed. "For some reason that's not what I expected."

"What could be better, darling? Let's sign these babies and toast."

She took the stack. "I'll have to read all of it first."

"Alright, well while you do the boring stuff I'm gonna get some champagne glasses. If you don't have any, I have them somewhere…in some box."

"Maybe 'kitchenware?'" Cress offered.

Thorne shrugged. "Not sure. Kai labeled those."

Cress took a seat at the kitchen table as she rifled through the documents, but Thorne was right—it was boring. "Maybe you could consider unpacking those boxes for the next four and a half months."

Thorne paused in front of her cabinets. "I didn't think you wanted me hogging your space. Like you said, it's only another four and a half months if this works."

"I think the boxes hog more space than anything," she murmured, still skimming, a pen between her teeth.

He sat down across from her, having found her champagne glasses. She'd never used them. There were only two, but she'd seen them at a garage sale and they had pretty crescent moons on the stems, so she hadn't been able to resist.

"Think you can make room in your closet for my clothes?"

She looked up. He was working off the seal on the bottle, and she had to catch herself from staring again. "I could try. And maybe we can use some of your kitchen stuff too."

He grinned. "It would be easier if I didn't have to iron everything every day."

She bit her lip to keep from laughing. She'd caught him ironing last week when she'd forgotten something at home and come back during a free period. It had both shocked and delighted her to know the man could iron. But his clothes always were impeccable, so she didn't know why it hadn't occurred to her before.

"I have a steamer, you know."

Thorne's jaw dropped. "You're a terrible human being, hiding that from me all this time."

She giggled, then stopped. "But! If your clothes go in my closet, those creepy dolls go back in the boxes. Non-negotiable."

"Terrible human, like I said." He popped the champagne and Cress shrieked as it fizzed out everywhere. Thorne tried in vain to lap it up while Cress threw herself over the stack of papers.

"Okay," he conceded with a laugh, "I'm the terrible one. Aces, what was I thinking?" He reached forward. "It's in your hair, shit, I'm sorry, Cress."

She waited while he ran his fingers through his hair—but they wet too, so it was useless. He returned with a rag before she dared remove herself from protecting the papers.

"This feels a little like Vegas now," he said, his eyes still twinkling.

"Except we're getting divorced, not married."

"Now I remember why I bothered with champagne!"

She moved with the papers to the couch, unwilling to risk the documents getting wet if Thorne had missed a spot. And, if she were honest, she liked the idea of him cleaning up his own mess. After a few minutes, he settled down next to her with two glasses. And, to her surprise—two coasters.

"Sorry about that," he said a little sheepishly.

"Imagine if you had ruined these."

"I know. At least your hair looks good wet." He set the coasters on the side table next to her and then extended a champagne glass very delicately, careful not to hover over the papers. "Think you can manage?"

She took it from him. "I'm just not sure if we should be drinking together."

His cheek dimpled as half his lip quirked to the side. "I left the bottle over there on purpose. But one drink? What can it hurt?"

Cress nodded. "Should we link arms again, like in Vegas?"

He cringed. "That wasn't so lucky last time."

"We did win all that money."

"True. And we do need luck for those papers to go through."

Cress's excitement faded. She looked down at where she needed to sign. Thorne had already scribbled his name. "Do you think this'll work? Like, there's a lot at stake."

He nodded grimly. "As long as we do what Judge Blackburn wants, there's no reason for the law to block us from getting a divorce. We submit these papers and pray we get a judge who isn't nuts."

"You're right," she said with a long exhale. They were leaning into each other again but she didn't care anymore. They were in this together, whether they liked it or not. "It's just…I didn't expect to already be a divorcee. Whenever I meet someone I like, it'll eventually come up. What if they think I'm afraid of commitment? Or bad at…at marriage?" Her last worry slipped out before she could stop it. "What if no one wants me after this?"

She kept her head down, staring again at the signature paper. Thorne was silent.

"It's not just that," she mumbled. "What if I sign this and it doesn't work? What if someone at immigration disagrees with Levana and thinks I should've gotten an immediate annulment? What if they _do_ take away my visa? My work is here. My friends are here. My _life_ is here."

"Hey." Thorne shifted away from her and took the stack of papers away, placing them next to the coasters. He leaned back and held his arm out awkwardly in the air. She realized he was trying to put his arm around her, but maybe wasn't sure if that was okay, and so she, just as hesitantly, settled more firmly against his shoulder. His arm draped lightly over her neck, and despite all her nerves, it _was_ comforting.

"I really don't think they're going to kick you out. If that happens, we'll use the money we won gambling to hire you an immigration lawyer."

Her eyes turned up to him, and her cheek brushed against his neck. "You'd give up your half?"

He looked nauseas at the thought. "Let's just say, that's how confident I am that this is going to work out in our favor. Kai said it's a slam dunk with a different judge. I trust Kai. So…" He blew out a breath and Cress's hair tickled her forehead. "Yeah, I'll give it up. As much as I hate to admit it, we're in this together. And though we got to a rocky start…we should look out for each other, you know? Have each other's backs. Minimum in this divorce business."

She went against her better judgement and nuzzled into his neck just a little. He was warm and comfortable and his words made her heart feel less overwhelmed. "That's really decent of you, Thorne."

She felt his shoulder lift in a shrug. "As for the future men…being a divorcee…" He trailed off and cleared his throat. "Can't say I have much advice on that one. I'm still trying to decide if I'm ever going to tell my parents that this happened. Telling a woman in the future seems…about as undesirable."

She nodded.

"Have you told your parents?"

Cress startled. "My parents aren't alive."

Thorne drew away to look at her, but his arm tightened on her shoulder. "Oh…I'm sorry. I didn't know."

She shrugged. "You never asked."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

He settled back again, though she faced forward now, his neck smelling a little too good for comfort, and they fell into silence. She noticed Thorne had started sipping his champagne without a toast, so she drank a little too.

"Why haven't you told your parents yet?" she finally asked.

"They essentially hate me," he said without hesitation. "Not much I'd want to share with them."

"But they're alive. Your relationship could still be fixed."

"Not this one."

She sat up now and shrugged off his arm. One knee curled up underneath her as she faced him. "It's your choice of course, but if there's at all a possibility, like…" She took a breath, her forehead scrunching up as she thought of how to word it. "Like if they're not abusive, I guess, I just wonder if it wouldn't be worth trying."

He searched her face, then frowned. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Oh. Sure." She finished her champagne quickly and set it on her coaster, then grabbed the papers. "I didn't mean to get all serious about everything." She laughed nervously. "Next I'll be telling you all my hopes and dreams and we can't have that when we're getting divorced. Seeing as one of my hopes is to _not_ get divorced. I mean, not to you." What was she even saying? "I would like to not get divorced in general, I mean, once I marry someone on purpose, not on accident."

Thorne stared at her.

"Let's just sign the papers."

"I already signed," he said with a jerk of his chin.

"Right, right."

Without bothering to read the rest of the document, Cress flicked her pen over the dotted line.

* * *

 _Thanks for all the reviews last time! I'm glad people are still reading. As always, it'd be great if people left reviews in general, not just if the fic may be cancelled lol. But thanks so much for the enthusiasm, I decided to keep writing it for now. Hope you enjoyed some of the fluff. More to come. :)_


	13. Chapter 13

All of Winter's friends were gorgeous.

That was pretty much all Thorne got out of the last hour of Winter's luncheon presentation about the charity date auction. As Winter droned on about her 'vision' for the event, Thorne checked out all the volunteers. It wasn't like he _meant_ to check them out, but Winter couldn't possibly expect him to still pay rapt attention. He wasn't the only one zoning out. They'd all long finished their Cobb salads and mini raspberry cheesecakes, and there wasn't even alcohol.

He wasn't a stranger to being around gorgeous women, but he wasn't usually the only guy.

And he usually wasn't married.

But his wife was absent, and after getting to know her a little better, he doubted this was her scene. Cress kept saying she was shy, and sitting around talking about all the men they'd auction off didn't seem like her scene.

Aces, it wasn't his scene either.

But, after Winter had rattled off some basic rules about what those who purchased the men could _do_ with said men, he agreed that auctioning off women would be in poor taste these days.

"Carswell?"

He drew his eyes back to where Winter still stood at the head table. He straightened in his chair when he realized the room had fallen silent. "It's Thorne."

"Ah yes, Thorne." Winter smiled—a radiant smile that would knock the wind out of any straight man even without her ruby red lips to illuminate it. He tried not to stare, but out of all the women in the room, Winter's beauty took him off guard every time he looked at her. Warm brown skin, thick hair, corkscrew curls, golden-brown eyes.

He was betting on plastic surgery.

She was _too_ beautiful.

He also needed to stop drooling.

He cleared his throat. "Yes?"

"What do you think?"

"About which part specifically?"

"The rules."

His eyes flickered to the screen projected on the wall behind them. He hadn't looked at it in at least ten minutes and the rules weren't there anymore.

"I'm flattered you're interested in my opinion, but it's not just up to me. Let's ask all these lovely committee members to weigh in too."

Winter beamed as she turned to the rest of the group. "Thorne is Cress Darnel's husband." He hid his grimace as ten pairs of exceptionally curious eyes turned on him. "Cress has a lot on her plate right now, so he's graciously agreed to step up and sit in for her on this committee. And," she added dramatically, "his opinion is of utmost importance to all of us because he'll also be one of the men auctioned off."

He…was?

He vaguely remembered Winter mentioning it when he'd moved into Cress's apartment. But he'd been under duress then and couldn't be held responsible for whatever had come out of his mouth. And after everything Winter had mentioned about these charity dates, why on earth would he want to be auctioned off? He was here on this committee. That was what he'd signed up for.

Winter glided over and pulled him to his feet.

"Finding eligible men willing to participate is the most challenging part. Carswell Thorne is _exactly_ the type of man we're looking to auction off." She fluttered her thick lashes at him and he almost blushed. "He's aesthetically pleasing all around and charming."

Well, that was true.

"He could be more muscular," someone commented.

No, not just _someone._ He raised an eyebrow at the redhead wearing a smirk. "Thanks, Scarlet."

Scarlet stood, her smile widening. "The best thing about Cress's _husband_ being involved in this event is that he knows plenty of eligible bachelors that he can talk into participating." She pulled out her phone and held up a picture. "Like Ze'ev Kesley. Look at this man, ladies. This is the kind of man we want to auction off. He could do pushups on stage, take off his shirt…" She smirked again as many of the women murmured again.

"Ze'ev is Jacin's friend," Thorne said, trying to hide his irritation. "Get Jacin to ask him."

Sure, Ze'ev was a good-looking man, he could recognize that. But Thorne was better looking. Plus, as Winter had said, Thorne was charming. Ze'ev was…slightly terrifying. Too bulky.

Winter clapped her hands. "You're right, Scarlet. I'll let Jacin know. Of course, I'll make sure Jacin gets auctioned off too."

Cinder raised a hand in the air but stayed seated. "Why are we auctioning off our husbands? No one is going to buy a married dude."

"Jacin's only engaged to me," Winter said, frowning. "But you're right, I guess. Though the point of the date isn't necessarily to establish a relationship."

"Just a hookup," called a blonde.

Everyone laughed.

"I can get Kai," Thorne said, staring pointedly at Cinder.

She looked away.

Good.

Now that Kai and Cinder were hanging out even if unofficially, she could take the next step and claim him if she had a problem with someone else buying him. Maybe she'd even be _forced_ to buy him. Ha.

"Who's Kai?" someone called.

It was Thorne's turn to smirk. "Pretty much everyone's dreamboat. Looks like he stepped out of Crazy Rich Asians."

"Oooh," said a few of the women.

Cinder scowled.

"I can probably get a few more guys," Thorne said, though he wasn't sure. Maybe some of his gambling buddies. But to make that happen, he'd have to actually go to a gambling game sometime soon. He was supposed to host this month's game, and he'd been delaying because of his nuptials with Cress.

"But no husbands," said Shan, a woman sitting at his table. "Sorry Thorne, but that means you too. Vote for no husbands, everyone?" She raised her hand in the air and most of the room—including Cinder and Scarlet—did too.

And just like that, Thorne was stricken from the list of eligible bachelors.

He had a hard time not telling them that he would hopefully be divorced by the time of the auction and that any woman would be lucky to have him as her date. But if he was divorced by then, he wouldn't even have to go to the auction, let alone help out with it. As soon as the six months were up, he was gone. In fact, he had no intention of even staying in L.A. after all this was done. Thorne needed something new, and that new thing was not going to be hanging out with his ex-wife's friends as part of a dumb compromise that was reached during _couples therapy_.

* * *

That night, Cress came home late again.

Now that he was no longer avoiding the apartment like the plague, he noticed that she came home late often. Well, later than what Thorne would have expected for a schoolteacher.

But Cress was really involved in her work, and that included her after-school activities. Thorne didn't mind when she came home wearing those little black yoga pants. It meant that she'd stayed late to supervise the exercise club, and he got a nice view of her legs.

Those nights Cress was usually pretty pleasant. It was probably all those endorphins, since rather than sit around and watch her students, Cress did all the same exercises herself to stay in shape.

Thorne had gone out of his way to make an Instant Pot baked ziti tonight because after all that Cobb salad, he needed more carbs. And it was Wednesday, which he thought was a yoga pants day, so Cress could probably use some carbs too.

And, if he were honest, he really hadn't pulled his weight lately with cooking. He was getting better at grocery shopping, even if he didn't go to the exact stores that Cress wanted with the exact right coupon which he somehow always managed to forget at home whenever he needed it.

Instant Pot baked ziti it was.

He had just finished setting the table when Cress burst through the door with a huff and threw her purse on the couch.

No yoga pants. Anger.

Cress must have stayed late at work because of her parent-teacher conferences instead.

Thorne cleared his throat. "Bad day?"

She started to storm by him, noticed the table, and stopped abruptly. Her face softened. "Did you cook?"

He shrugged. "Thought you might be hungry after exercising."

Cress burst into tears.

He stiffened as she threw her arms around him and sobbed into his shirt.

"Uhh…I had hoped that cooking something would have the opposite effect."

Cress pulled back and shook her head, swiping furiously at her tears. "No, no, thank you. I'm so surprised and grateful that you made something. I was just thinking that I couldn't handle another evening of takeout, and I'm actually starving, and I don't have the energy at all to do anything tonight, let alone cook." She smiled. "I'm crying because I'm happy."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I'm also crying because I'm super stressed out and don't know how to fix anything in my life."

He untangled himself gently and pulled out a chair for her. "Having an empty stomach while being stressed is never helpful for fixing anything. Eat something and tell me what's up. Mean parent again?"

She nodded and thankfully, took a seat. He was stressed out from all the charity date auction planning and he wasn't about to let the ziti go cold while he waited for Cress to talk. He shoveled a large square of noodles onto both their plates.

"It's this mother, Mrs. Mira." Cress clasped a hand over her mouth. "Stars, I'm not supposed to say names. But you're my husband, technically, so…just keep this to yourself, okay?"

"No problem."

Thorne poured them both a glass of red wine.

Cress's fork paused mid-air. "Aren't we limiting alcohol around each other? I know we had some champagne to celebrate the divorce papers, but I thought that was a special occasion."

"Eh. We're not out at a club dancing or anything, so it's not like we're going to get drunk and find a hotel room."

She blushed and took a large bite of her noodles.

"You're stressed, I'm stressed." He waved his hand. "We both deserve a little wine."

"You're stressed too?"

"I had that charity thing with Winter and your friends today."

"Oh! How did that go?"

"Don't worry about it. You were saying? About Mrs. Mira?"

Cress gulped down some wine. "She has a son who never does any work, constantly interrupts the class, and then expects me to give him 100's on all his missing assignments. She's already been in three times this week. It's not even for the scheduled parent-teacher conference anymore. Parents only get one of those. We have allotted slots and she keeps taking all of them. I had to stay late today because my principal called me into the office and told me that I need to reconsider the grades I'm giving my students. That parents are complaining."

"Are you in trouble?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly. But Mrs. Mira is incredibly pushy, and she's very rich, so the principal was explaining that she and her husband donate a lot of money to the school. That's also top-secret."

Thorne held up two fingers. "Scout's honor."

"You were a Boy Scout?"

He laughed. "Definitely not."

Cress pulled her hair and let out a sigh. "I'm not an unreasonable person. But I can't give one student good grades — even a _passing_ grade — if he doesn't do the work. But if I don't do it, Mrs. Mira isn't going to stop complaining about me. What she goes to the school board? I could get fired!"

Thorne polished off his ziti, thinking. "I don't know exactly how the school board works these days, but I can tell you from personal experience that even the richest parents have trouble persuading school officials that their lackluster son deserves a free pass."

Cress took another sip of wine. "You mean…you?"

"I'm sure you don't need ten guesses to figure out I wasn't that great at school."

"How should I know that?"

He looked away. "I know what you think about me and my criminal past."

Cress touched her fingers to the back of his hand. "And maybe I've been a little harsh about that."

He met her eyes, but Cress was serious.

"Besides, Anthony at the jazz club said you were pretty popular in high school. Maybe you were popular because you are smart."

He pulled away his hand, a little turned around by her kindness and honesty, and also the ridiculousness of her statement.

"Nah, I wasn't even that popular. I just made sure I was well-liked by the right people."

"That's something. I'm never good at making people like me."

"What are you talking about? You've got several close girlfriends. Judging by how much they hate me, I'd wager they'd do anything for you."

"They don't hate you."

"Maybe not Iko." Or Winter, he supposed, but he also didn't know why he cared.

He didn't.

"I'm awkward," Cress said. "I've always been awkward. And shy."

He frowned. "Yes, you have said that."

"I was just trying to point out that people can be smart in different ways. I tell my students that. Some of them are very book smart. Great at math or write fabulous essays. In my class specifically, there's a lot of so-called geeks who have already started learning advanced computer programming."

Thorne whistled. "Seems geeky in school, but they'll be running software companies while the rest of us try to catch up."

"Or maybe they become teachers." She smiled into her wine. "And some of them might not be as good with standardized tests, but they're smart when it comes to people. I can see you being someone like that."

He drew back. "You can?"

"You don't think you are?"

"Well, yeah, of course I do. I just didn't know you thought that."

"Maybe I'm just realizing it."

He raised his wine glass. "I'll toast to that."

They clinked glasses and finished their drinks. Cress offered to do the dishes, but Thorne held up a hand. "One dish meal. All we need to do is put the plates in the dishwasher and wrap up the leftovers so you have something to take to school tomorrow."

She eyed him suspiciously. "You're being really nice today."

"It was all those women. They rubbed off on me."

Her laugh brought back pleasant memories. They had laughed a lot during their night together in Vegas.

They hadn't laughed much since then.

"I hope everything works out with Mrs. Mira," he said. "Just let me know if I need to send any of my prison buddies after her. I won't have anyone harassing my wife."

Her eyes turned to saucers.

"I'm joking. I haven't kept in touch with anyone."

There was Cinder, of course, but he'd been completely unsuccessful in having an adult conversation with her. He didn't get it. They'd been friends back then. And now that Kai knew about Cinder's past, what was there to be ashamed of?

Whatever.

He wasn't about to run after some chick who couldn't spare him more than a glare every time she looked at him.

Her loss.

"Are you doing anything on Friday evening?" Cress asked.

Thorne narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going on another group date with Kai and Cinder. No way. I need at least a month before I can do that again."

"No, it's not that." She bit her lip and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear — and finally _did_ look shy. "There's an activity night for the students on Friday evening. We never have enough chaperones, and running after middle school boys is exhausting. Would you want to come?"

He grimaced. "You really sold it there."

"You wouldn't have to do much. You don't know the students, so it's not like they'd really listen to you if they did something bad. You just sort of stand watch and make sure no one gets hurt, and if someone does do something bad, you tell a teacher. You could tell me. The biggest challenge is just having enough eyes on everyone."

"But I don't know the students, like you said. Why would they accept some rando man as a chaperone?"

She blushed. "I would obviously tell them that you're my husband."

He startled. "You would? I thought you wanted to keep your work life separate from our…private affairs."

"In this case, it would really help me out. But of course, you don't have to. There's free pizza, though, and everyone that volunteers gets a free bowling pass to use at their leisure."

"Do I look like someone who bowls?"

Cress giggled. "Maybe you can use your pass for a date when our divorce goes through. There are plenty of girls who like bowling."

Probably not any of the girls he'd be interested in, but he didn't say anything. He was caught off guard by Cress's invitation, and he didn't like being caught off guard. Why would he volunteer at the middle school activity night? With the wife he was trying to divorce, no less?

"Uh, has school changed so much that they'd allow a convicted felon to chaperone that kind of activity?"

"Oh." Cress looked at her feet. "I think it depends on the felony. It's not like you're a sex offender."

Thorne curled his lip. "No, I'm not. But I don't even get considered for most jobs simply because I have to check off the box that says I've been convicted of a crime before."

No one ever gave convicted felons the benefit of the doubt, even after serving time. Once a criminal, always a criminal.

"They do make all volunteers do updated background checks."

"Kai just had me do one to include with the divorce papers. I haven't committed any crimes since I got out of prison." And, because he felt it was suddenly important for her to know, even though he wasn't quite sure why: "And I'm not _going_ to commit any more crimes, Cress."

"Then I'll check with my principal."

"I haven't even agreed to go."

"I was hoping that offering to bring my new husband as a chaperone would show my principal how committed I am to this job, despite what's happening with Mrs. Mira and her son."

"So you're using me."

"Using you?"

Cress slinked toward him almost sexily, a smile gracing her lips. She stopped rather close to him, all traces of stress gone. "Considering my husband is being so generous, I'll make sure there are benefits for him besides just pizza and bowling."

He had to take a step back — her confidence reminded him too much of Vegas.

"Benefits?" he choked out.

"Yes, benefits." She trailed a finger up his shirt.

His pulse quickened.

Cress started giggling. "Oh my _stars_! You should see your face."

"What — What's happening?"

"Nothing's happening. I don't want to play this game anymore where one of us has to _do_ something in exchange for a favor from the other person. I'm asking you, no strings attached. If you volunteer, I'd really appreciate it. But if you don't want to, then don't."

He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "What was that…that show just now?"

"It was a _joke_." Her cheeks tinted red and she mumbled, "Told you I was awkward."

"That wasn't awkward, it was—"

She waved her hand, still flushed. "I'm tired and the wine is making me even more tired. I'm going to go soak with some bath salts. Thanks again for cooking."

"Cress—"

But Cress was already hurrying away to the bathroom. Then water was running and for some reason he was just standing like an idiot in the kitchen staring at the bathroom door.

What the hell had just happened?

And why did he feel like he needed a cold shower?


	14. Chapter 14

Activity Night was going well.

Cress was exhausted after a long week, but this was the last event keeping her from collapsing in bed this weekend. She also enjoyed seeing her students in infinitely better moods. This was where she got the chance to see them interact outside the confines of a classroom—and she got to find out what rumors were true: Who was truly cool. Who was secretly crushing on whom. Who was mean to other students when they thought no one was watching.

It also meant she had to supervise the students dancing. When she'd started, she'd imagined corsages and cute slow dancing while shy students swayed with an entire foot between them. Gone were those days. Now it meant she gagged a little each time one of her innocent students slid their body against another one of her not-so-innocent students.

"Excuse me, Miss Darnel?"

Shannon and her two best friends, Allie and Mel, gestured at her from one of the dance floor's corners. Cress smiled as she approached them. All three of them weren't part of the popular group that was dominating the dance floor. Shy and bookish, they reminded her of herself as a nerdy middle schooler. Cress sometimes gave them passes to hang out in her classroom during their lunch period. She prided herself on being a 'haven' from cafeteria hierarchies and providing a space for her students to relax.

"Hi, girls! Enjoying Activity Night?"

Shannon clicked her heels together as she averted Cress's eyes. Mel nudged her.

Cress frowned. "Everything okay?"

She'd had at least five conversations lately with girls getting their periods spontaneously and needing a sudden change of clothes, and wondered if maybe that was the cause for the embarrassment. The girls usually talked freely in front of her while they ate their lunches. Cress even knew their crushes.

"Oh, I'll just say it," Allie said. "Well, it's just, we were wondering if you know who…that guy is?"

Mel broke out into a fit of nervous laughter.

"Oooh, which guy?" Cress said, turning to once again look at the dance floor. She would totally get them having crushes on some of the popular—albeit mean—boys in the center of the dance floor. Everyone had a crush on Max and Derek these days, though why she couldn't fathom. She had long learned to be supportive and not give her students lectures about how inappropriate and ridiculous some of these boys were. Even their dance moves, which really weren't dance moves at all, but consisted of cringe-worthy grinding that—luckily—another chaperone was continually breaking up. Watching them made her wonder what happened to little kids these days that they'd be grinding at age _twelve_ and—

"Not really a guy. I mean, he is. But…" Allie pointed. "That man. The chaperone."

Cress followed the direction of her finger to the opposite corner.

Her eyes landed on Thorne.

"Who is that chaperone?" Allie said.

Shannon and Mel burst into another fit of giggles.

Thorne stood in another corner with his back rigid, his legs shoulder-width apart and his arms crossed over his chest like an intimidating prison guard. Cress had only seen him stand so formally in court, and she could only guess that he was exceptionally uncomfortable.

"Oh, that's Mr. Thorne," she said. "I know he looks scary but he's actually quite friendly."

Now all three girls giggled.

"What's going on?" Cress said. Was someone about to prank him? Sometimes horrible students did that during these activities, but these girls were great. They'd never do something like that.

"He's not scary," Mel said. "He's hot."

Cress startled.

"I think he should chaperone every event," Allie added.

"Girls!" Cress folded her arms now. "That's really inappropriate. He's an adult. You shouldn't be—"

"It's not like we're going to _kiss_ him."

"We're just appreciating him, the way a fangirl appreciates a celebrity."

They giggled hysterically now.

Cress rubbed her brow and left them. She would not—could not—discuss grown men with her students, and she didn't need any of them knowing how exactly she knew Thorne either. She made her way over to him instead. As she reached him, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Shannon, Mel, and Allie run out of the room with a shriek. Good. Let them think she was going to tell on them.

"Hey," Thorne said out of the corner of his mouth. He glared at the dance floor and Cress laughed.

"This isn't detention."

"Eh?"

"You don't have to stand like that. Nobody's in trouble."

"There are so many of them. And they're all so tiny. And loud!" He shuddered. "A bunch of screeching bats with hormones."

Cress laughed and nudged him. "I'm sure you were no different in middle school. Judging by what Anthony said, you were probably one those…grinding boys." Now she shuddered.

"Is one of them that Mira boy who gives you so much trouble?"

She shook her head. "You know I can't tell you who he is. But…if I were to subtly nod in his direction, who would know?" She tilted her head at a cluster of boys in the middle. "However, while he does misbehave, it's really his mother that gives me the trouble."

He grunted. "Right."

"You should relax a little, Thorne. You look so tense."

"Can I get a new station?"

"It's not a station. You're not required to stay in any one location all night. If it's helpful, you can do some rounds."

His hands finally dropped to his side. "What does that entail?"

"You just walk around the hallways, poke your head in each room, see if anyone needs a hand."

Thorne reached into his pocket and pulled out a crinkled paper. He unfolded it and studied the map of the school provided at the chaperone check-in. Normally, chaperones were parents or spouses, so they'd been to the school enough times to know their way around. But she remembered how dizzying the hallways had seemed when she had first started here, and all the kids running around didn't really help at the moment.

"I'll do the first round with you," Cress said.

He looked relieved.

As they left the dance floor, she said, "I've never seen you so nervous. Except in court. It's just a school."

"I don't want to get you in trouble."

Thorne had leaned over her shoulder and read the email Cress had received from her principal regarding his criminal background. Bad timing, really, for the two of them to be sitting on the couch together when it arrived. The principal had said it was okay as they were 'desperate' for volunteers, but that Thorne needed to exercise exceptional behavior. Cress had realized in that moment that telling her principal she was married to an ex-con was not the best move for her career after all, but by then it was too late. Now, she felt bad for even asking Thorne to come here, as that email had clearly made him uncomfortable too.

And yet he was still here, and she didn't totally understand why, but she appreciated the gesture and wanted him to know.

She touched his arm as they rounded the corner toward the gym. "You're helping. It's wonderful and you're wonderful."

He stopped short at her words, for just a second, but then kept walking. Cress shook her head. ' _You're wonderful?'_

 _Okay, Cress._

"Where would you have been at an Activity Night?" she asked, trying to cover up her awkwardness.

"What do you mean?"

"Dancing, or playing games, or swimming, or basketball, or crafts?"

"I wouldn't have gone."

"No? Too cool?"

"Too busy, more like. I had money to make and business schemes to plan."

"What kind of business schemes?"

A smile finally appeared on Thorne's face. "Getting my cat to steal fruit from my neighbor's yard and then selling them—sometimes even to the people I stole them from. Buying Girl Scout cookies and then reselling them for a higher price by pretending to be the first boy of my school's troop. Stuff like that."

Her eyes widened. "You did that even on a Friday night?"

He only shrugged.

The roar of the gym swallowed the rest of her thoughts. As much as she hated watching her students dance, she disliked supervising the gym activities even more. Someone was always throwing the ball too hard in dodgeball (and hitting her by accident). Today, there was basketball going on, though, so she stepped inside with less caution and headed for the bleachers, Thorne at her heels.

She cheered as a girls' team made a slam dunk against the boys.

"Is this where you do your exercise class?" Thorne asked, sliding in next to her.

"Oh, it depends. When we do Zumba, yes, because the sound works better. But on days that it's pilates or yoga, we're usually outside."

"You don't supervise basketball?"

She laughed. "No, I could care less about basketball."

"They're not bad," he said with a wave.

"Do you play?"

He chuckled. "I don't play sports."

"How do you keep so fit, then?"

A smirk graced his lips. "Bowling."

"Ha-Ha-Ha."

"Pushups, calisthenics, Wi-Fit."

"Wi-Fit?"

He flexed his arm. "Don't knock it til you've tried it, darling."

She rolled her eyes.

"You're pretty fit yourself," he commented, his eyes going back to the pick-up game. "You look good in those yoga pants you wear."

Her face heated. "Thanks."

"You do those yogi poses on the top of mountains?"

"Um…what?"

"You know. Wherever you go, you go like this." He turned to her and pressed his palms together over his head. "Do a hand stand or pull one leg up like a tree and balance. Hashtag yogaforlife!"

Cress couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a mountain, let alone done something like that. But she could picture it now that he was demonstrating, and probably had students who did that on social media. "I'm not a yogi. I like the Zumba days better. I love to dance."

He grinned. "I know."

Her mind drifted to Vegas, to the way the two of them had danced. First fast, then slower, slower, slower, until the rest of the dance floor had blurred away. Granted, most of the remainder of that evening had blurred away as well. But Cress remembered the dancing.

Thorne's chest pressed against her back.

Thorne hand skating over her bare stomach.

Thorne's lips melting into hers…

Someone screamed.

Dazed, Cress jumped to her feet as Thorne swore next to her.

"What's happening?" Cress asked.

But she didn't have to wait for Thorne to answer. He was already running down the bleachers, clearly taking his chaperone duties very seriously. And Cress could see why. All of the players had stopped the game and crowded around someone who was clearly injured. Thorne and Cress and another chaperone rushed onto the court as well.

"Out of the way! Make room for the teachers," Thorne shouted, practically pushing students out of Cress's path. She was grateful for his help, as she was too short to make much of an impact herself, but she tugged on his shirt and whispered urgently, "You can't touch the students. Unless they're hurt."

Thorne stopped abruptly and turned back to her. He stuck out his tongue like he was gagging. "Oh, sick. Here."

With his back still to the group of students, Thorne _ripped off his shirt_.

Some of the girls turned away from the commotion and gaped at him as much as Cress did.

"Uh, what are you —"

"I can't help, sorry. Just take this and deal with it."

Cress pushed in front of him and gasped. Sue Richardson, the eighth grade point guard, was on her back with a bloody nose. And it was a gusher.

"Okay, don't panic," Cress said. "Sue, we're going to get you help. Did you injure anything else?"

Sue held her nose. "It dosnt eben hubt."

But blood squirted everywhere.

She held Thorne's shirt in her hand and shook her head. Clearly, he hadn't read his orientation manual as thoroughly as she had.

"Everyone back away please," Cress said. "Thorne, there's a first aid kit —"

Thorne was paler than Sue. He stood further back, hunched over his knees, breathing deeply like he might have a panic attack. Students were crowding around _him_ wondering if he was okay.

"I'll get the first aid kit," said Jessica, the other chaperone. She was an art teacher who had worked there much longer than Cress, and Cress had no doubt she knew the protocol for injuries. Once they got an ice pack and were able to stop the bleeding, they could escort Sue to the nurse's office.

Then she remembered there was no nurse available, as it was Friday night at 8 PM.

"I'll stay with Sue," Cress said. "Girls, can you back away a little bit and give her space?"

"I didn't mean to hit her, Mrs. Darnel," said someone else that Cress didn't recognize. "I'm really sorry, it was an accident."

"These things happen sometimes in sports," Cress said. "You're not in trouble."

Jessica ran back with the first aid kit and together, they patched up Sue as best they could, recorded the incident, and called her mother. Basketball was put on hold until a janitor could come and wipe up the blood. By the time they were done with the whole situation, Thorne sat on one of the bleachers by himself. A cluster of girls stood not too far from him, giggling in the same manner that the girls on the dance floor had done when they'd seen him.

Cress tossed him his shirt. "You should really cover up."

He pulled it over his head. "I figured it was better if I took off my shirt, then you yours."

"Heroic gesture, but a little unnecessary."

"So I've learned."

She sat down next to him. "Are you afraid of blood?"

"Normally, I wouldn't answer that, but seeing my display here, I'll let you draw your own conclusions."

"Are you afraid of needles too?"

He shuddered. "When's this thing over again?"

Cress pointed at the huge clock on the wall of the gym. "Not for another hour and a half. Why, are you feeling faint?" She nudged him. "You need an ice pack too?"

"You're hysterical."

She grinned. "We should do another round. Everything is under control in here."

"You seem like a good teacher," Thorne said after a few minutes of walking.

"I'm a good chaperone, I guess. Teaching is a whole different matter."

"You don't think you're a good teacher?"

"I try to be. I know my subject and I try to relate to my students and make them interested in it. But the parents have a way of making me doubt my abilities."

"Fuck them."

"Thorne!" Cress looked around scandalously. "This is school event! You can't use that kind of language!"

Thorne ducked his head, but a devious dimpled grin lit up his features. "Oh _no_ ," he whispered, "what if one of the twelve-year-olds hears me? It'll be the tamest word they've heard all night compared to their buddies."

"They are swearing a lot," she said with a frown.

He grinned. "I know."

* * *

Thorne toed the door shut behind him.

He was exhausted, though he'd barely done anything tonight. It was probably all the free pizza he'd devoured.

Cress had been quite the run-around chaperone, filling in wherever necessary and mostly allowing Thorne to just follow her around. He felt a little ridiculous over his striptease incident with the blood, but Cress hadn't brought it up again or tried to rub it in his face.

He'd been wrong about her. When they'd moved in together, he'd assumed Cress would continue to point out everything he did wrong like she did in the beginning. But ever since they'd started talking more (he would never accredit it to couples therapy actually working, because boy was that a waste of time), Cress gave him the benefit of the doubt more often than not. His parents — hell, no one — ever gave him the benefit of the doubt. Not even Kai.

He liked that about Cress.

"I'm totally dead," she said. She sprawled out on the couch. "Thank the stars it's Friday!"

Every day felt like Friday for him, but now was not the time to point that out. "You off to bed?"

"The second I can move my feet again, yes. I'm so sore from walking around all week."

Thorne sat down on the couch. She was so short that even stretched out her toes didn't reach the other end. He placed her feet on his lap. "I can help with that. I've been known to give excellent foot massages."

Cress propped herself up with wide eyes. "You'd give me a foot massage?"

Something about the intensity of her stare made him reconsider his words. "I mean…if you were planning on sleeping, it wasn't really an _offer_ —"

"No, no! I would love a foot massage!" Cress stretched out again and reached for the remote. She wiggled her toes. "We can watch a movie."

"I'm not massaging your feet for two hours."

"Even five minutes would be great. Amazing, really. Even three minutes!"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I think I can manage at least five minutes. Per foot," he added.

She scrolled through the channel guide and settled on a movie, then flicked off the lights. He half-expected her to light some mood candles, but she stayed put, still wiggling her toes.

He pulled off her socks, one by one.

He'd never given anyone a foot massage without expecting the gesture to lead to something else, something mutually enjoyable, and the second he clasped her right foot with both his hands, he wondered if he was perhaps giving off the wrong signals. He glanced out of the corner of his eyes to see if Cress thought so too, but Cress was staring intently at the TV. And — if he turned his head for a better look — she was mouthing the lines of the opening scene.

"Favorite movie of yours?"

She shrugged. "It just plays all the time."

He glanced at the TV. Some Julia Roberts movie that did play all the time, but he'd never actually bothered watching. He concentrated on Cress's feet. They were as tiny as her, and one foot nearly fit into his entire hand. He started with slow circles on her ankles.

"That feels really good," Cress said.

 _I know_ , he wanted to brag.

"Glad to hear it," he said. He stayed there for a bit, alternating feet and sometimes going for both at once, but the angle was too awkward. Eventually, he settled on her right foot. When he began to knead under the arch of her foot, Cress let out a moan.

He bit back a smirk. This was usually the time when whatever girl he used this move on attacked him, but Cress, of course, just dug her toes into his thigh. He kept going, enjoying the little sighs that escaped her mouth from time to time. After her hectic week, she deserved a massage and he was glad to give her one.

Now that he thought about it, a shoulder massage might feel even better, but there was no way to make sure something like that stayed platonic. This was just a foot rub. A damn good foot rub, of course, but it was different than touching her upper body.

He moved on to the left foot and, after a while, started paying more attention to the movie, running his hands absentmindedly over her feet and switching where he kneaded from time to time. Julia Roberts was pretty hot for however old she was in this movie. Pretty smile, great hair, good sense of humor.

The dialogue was a little iffy, though, and he had no idea who the male lead was.

His hands were getting tired, so he let go of Cress's feet. "All done."

Cress didn't say anything.

Thorne turned, indignant, expecting at least a profuse thank you.

Ah. Cress was asleep.

He let her stay that way for a little longer, keeping her feet on his lap without touching them, but pretty soon his legs started to fall asleep. There was no way he was watching this movie all the way through by himself, even if Julia Roberts was hot.

He eased himself off the couch and stretched. Grabbing his pajamas from behind the couch, he made his way to the bathroom and got ready for bed. When he got back to the living room, though, Cress was still asleep. She'd turned a little on the couch, and the way her hair had gotten static from the satin pillow reminded him vaguely of how she'd looked the morning after their nuptials.

 _Their nuptials._

He shook his head and went to Cress's room. The bed was perfectly made as usual, but the room was a little messier at the end of the week, with the hamper overflowing with clothes at the side of her bed. He moved it out of the way, pulled back the comforter, and took off her sham pillows.

Then he went back to the couch — _his_ bed — and picked Cress up gently. She stirred, but only proceeded to bury her head in his shoulder. He carried her into her room and tucked her into her comforter.

"Sleep well," he whispered.


	15. Chapter 15

"Thank you very much for coming in today, Mr. Thorne."

Thorne shook Mr. Rutherford's hand as they both stood. The interview had gone exceptionally well. It had been a while since he'd felt so good about a job. This one had all the benefits Thorne wanted, decent hours, younger co-workers, and a stylish and up-and-coming office too. Of course, the salary was the biggest draw.

"No, thank you," he said with a grin. "I haven't had that much fun in an interview for a long time."

Mr. Rutherford smiled back. "Help yourself to some of our new chocolate samples on your way out."

The free samples sounded great, but that wasn't what Thorne was interested in. "So, what's your hiring timeline like? When can I expect to hear from you?"

It was important to be forward and assertive. And after he'd nailed that interview, he knew he'd get a follow-up phone call.

"It could be a few weeks."

"Fair enough. Good luck with the rest of your interviews. I look forward to hearing from you in a few weeks."

He turned, but Mr. Rutherford cleared his throat.

"Uh, Mr. Thorne?"

He turned back. "Just Thorne is fine."

"Right." Mr. Rutherford was no longer smiling. "I like you, so I'm going to be straight with you. You won't be hearing from us."

He must have heard wrong. "I'm sorry? Didn't you just say you liked me? This seemed like a successful interview. I'm the perfect match here." He pulled on his tie, then reminded himself not to fidget.

"Oh, I do like you. You do seem like a great match."

Thorne smiled again.

"But you're a felon."

Oh. His mouth went dry. This had happened many times before, but usually he didn't make it this far in the interview process. He could still recover from it.

"I can understand your concern," he said, softening his features to seem less threatening. The occupational consultant he'd met with had talked to him about acknowledging his wrongdoings and putting people at ease about it. He was usually pretty good at putting people at ease. Mr. Rutherford didn't seem like an unreasonable man either. "And I assure you, I regret the decisions I made when I was a teenager that led to that felony. And I certainly paid for it in prison time and have come out a reformed man."

"But you're a felon," Mr. Rutherford repeated.

Thorne pulled on the collar of his new dress shirt he bought specifically for this interview. "A nonviolent one. Listen, I just really had a thing for fancy cars. I shouldn't have taken what wasn't mine. I did it when no one was even there, didn't break any property or anything. I'm not a threat to anyone, if that's what you're worried about."

"Of course not, of course not." Mr. Rutherford was turning red. He looked at his feet. "We have a strict ethics code here, and stealing is completely against what we stand for. Even if it's nonviolent."

"With all due respect, it sounds like you formed your opinion before you met me. Why invite me back for an interview in the first place?"

"We invited you as a courtesy. We are an equal opportunity employer, but I wanted to be straightforward with you so you don't get your hopes up. There are other candidates with your skills, but they have a higher… moral fiber."

"Ah." Thorne gave a curt nod. "You have a nice day, then."

On his way out, he helped himself to as many free samples as would fit in his pockets.

* * *

Cress opened her apartment door to a cloud of smoke.

Her first instinct was to run for the mini fire extinguisher she kept under her sink. But as she barreled into her apartment — why she did this and didn't step back into the hallway and call 911, she wasn't sure — she nearly pummeled into a bunch of men sitting at a table in the middle of the living room.

She stopped short.

Nothing was on fire.

It was cigar smoke.

From cigars.

She blinked as reality caught up with her. Thorne and four other men were crammed around the kitchen table, which had been moved into the living room. The TV was playing some sports game, and cards and tokens littered the table. Half-empty pizza boxes and open beer cans sat on the couch, on the coffee table, on the floor.

"Thorne?" Cress waved away a cloud of smoke. "What's going on?"

"Hey, darlin'." He winked at her from the table, a cigar between his teeth. He puffed once and took it out. "You're home early."

A white guy with an ugly mustache, at least fifteen years older than them, waggled his eyebrows at Cress. "This your fake wife? She's hot."

Thorne threw a couple cards on the table. "Technically, she's my real wife for now. Complicated situation, as I was saying."

Another man with spiky blond hair chuckled. "Could be worse. I wouldn't mind coming home to that."

"Cress is pretty," Thorne said solemnly.

"Aces still wild?" A black man with brilliant white teeth drew a card.

"Obviously, Aimery," said the mustache guy. "You're going to lose every round if you don't start paying attention."

"Stop encouraging him." Thorne threw a chip into the middle pile. "If Park loses, one of us wins. And that's going to be me, boys."

"EXCUSE ME!"

Their chatter stopped as they all looked at Cress. Her heart was beating wildly. "Is this even legal?"

Mustache guy laughed. "Royals night with your buddies? Yeah, honey, it's legal."

"Chill out, babe," said the blond one.

"Hey, don't talk to my wife that way." Thorne shot another wink at Cress. "Just a little Royals, nothing to worry about. If you're lucky I'll make enough tonight to cover next month's rent."

"You can't just gamble in my apartment!"

"Didn't you two meet gambling?" Aimery said. "Don't be so judgy."

Mustache guy hummed.

"Thorne," Cress hissed, "Get over here right now."

Her words were met with the collective "ooooh" from the men. Someone said, "You're in trouble now," as Thorne got to his feet.

"All right, all right." Thorne rolled his eyes. "Enough with the comments from the peanut gallery. Let me talk to my wife for a second."

Why was he calling her his wife so often tonight? Cress pulled him into the hallway but left the door open. Her hands went to her hips but before she could even speak, Thorne gave her a lazy grin.

"Why are you so upset? It's just a little gambling."

"You didn't even tell me that anyone was coming over!"

"It was a spontaneous thing. And you have your yoga thing tonight." His eyes narrowed in on her pencil skirt. "You look good. Why aren't you wearing your yoga pants, though?"

"It was canceled because we needed the gym for employee health day. And it's none of your business when I wear yoga pants or not!"

He sucked on his cigar. "Sorry. I like them."

"Are you drunk?"

"A little tipsy. It helps me get into the game."

She snatched the cigar out of his mouth.

"Ow."

"You're smoking in my apartment. That's disgusting!"

He scowled. "Aces, you're in such a bad mood today. I'm just having a guys night. I needed to let off some steam. Or is that only okay when I'm in Vegas?"

Cress pressed a hand to her temple. "I don't know these people, Thorne. All of my personal belongings are in this apartment."

His lips flattened into a hard line. "Oh, so because I have a history of stealing things, all of my buddies suddenly do too?"

"That's not what I meant. You've never even mentioned any of your 'buddies.'"

"If you don't trust me, just say it."

"That's not it! This is my apartment. My life. I have a right to know who's in it. Maybe someone sneaks into my room while you're in the bathroom or something."

"Oh, give me a _break_."

"People that gamble can be into shady things."

She'd read about this. Looked up the psychology of gambling one time in college when she was bored. There was an allure to it, in the way that playing slots with Thorne had been alluring. It was hard to stop once you started, which was why the two of them were in this marriage mess in the first place. And people who got addicted to gambling could do anything. They could get dangerous, desperate to win. Some of them had guns. Cress was against guns. Was Thorne? She'd never thought to ask. These men could all be addicts. An apartment full of addicts! And even if they weren't, one of them had _leered_ at her like a creep.

Thorne wasn't much for glaring, she had learned, but the face he was giving her now as her mind raced with a million thoughts was about as close as it got. His blue eyes were cool and cut through her. She had to look down. His normally impeccable style was off too—in a dress shirt that was completely open with some sort of beater underneath it. And were those rumpled dress slacks with a pizza stain on them? It disarmed her a little.

"I wasn't implying that all your friends are felons too—"

"And if they were?"

Cress closed her eyes. This conversation was getting away from her and she briefly saw Dr. Fallow's face in front of her. She tried to remind herself that Thorne was living here and she couldn't dictate every single thing that he did. But this didn't seem like such an unreasonable thing to be angry about. Even if she was fine with him having friends over, she deserved to know her apartment was going to be smoke free. If he respected her, wouldn't he at least give her a heads up text message?

"That's what I thought," Thorne said.

Cress felt like she might cry. She'd had a rough day at work and just wanted to come home and relax. And she thought it was going well with Thorne. She hadn't given a second thought lately to him being home alone in her apartment. And the other day, when she'd fallen asleep on the couch, he'd carried her to her bed, tucked her in, and then left her alone.

They were friends. Friendly roommates.

But now her friendly roommate looked like he hated her.

"I'm going to Cinder's house," she said quietly. "I think I'll stay there tonight. When I get back tomorrow, I expect this place to be just as clean as it was when I left this morning. I don't want to see one single pizza crumb anywhere and it better not smell like smoke."

And all her stuff had better be there, but she didn't say that. It was already heavily implied.

"Yeah, whatever," Thorne said. "Tell Kai I said hi, since he's probably at her house already."

"He is?"

"Yeah, he's too busy for his friends now that he's got a girlfriend."

Cress hadn't even heard that Cinder and Kai were officially together, but she didn't have a chance to inquire any further. Thorne went back into her apartment and practically slammed the door behind him.


	16. Chapter 16

"Miss Darnel? Excuse me, Miss Darnel?"

Cress looked up from her desk. Tyler stood in front of her with a bunch of tangled wires. She hadn't even known that he'd approached her. But a lot of things were going over her head today.

She blinked to clear her bleary mind. Stars, she was so tired.

"What's going on, Tyler?"

His shoulders dropped. "My robot exploded."

Cress was on her feet in an instant. "Where? How?" Had she seriously slept through an explosion?

"Well," he said, "not like fire exploded." Oh, thank the stars. "But like…" He made a collapsing motion with his hands and let all the wires fall dramatically on her desk.

"Huh, okay," she said, relief washing over her. "Let's take a look."

She clomped over to Tyler's station. When she'd gotten back to her apartment this morning, she'd just zipped in and out in an attempt to avoid Thorne. Too exhausted for fancy shoes, she'd thrown on the first thing in her closet and a pair of comfy clogs. The apartment had looked clean, though she hadn't taken a long look, of course—Thorne was sleeping and she didn't want to wake him. And then face him.

It wasn't entirely his fault she was tired, she had to admit—though right now as she took a look at Tyler's robot, all she wanted to do was blame him for gambling in her apartment. But she was the one who had chosen to stay up until three a.m. talking with Cinder and Iko.

She yawned as she picked up the sorry excuse for a robot. Tyler wouldn't even get a passing grade with this electronics mess, and by the devastated look on his face—and his snickering classmates—he knew it too well. But robotics was supposed to be the most fun part of her class, not the one that made you cry.

Cress sat down at his table. "Okay, let's see what we can't do to get this guy moving."

He looked to her, hopeful. "Thanks," he whispered.

She turned to the student sitting next to him. "Gisela, which motor controller did you choose?"

Gisela got the same panicked look in her eyes that Tyler already wore. Oh boy. How much had Cress missed while she'd zoned out in the last ten minutes?

A sharp rap on the door made all the chatter and beeping in the room cease. Twenty-two curious heads swiveled in her direction as she went to the door. The nervous thrum that always accompanied surprise visitors lately beat in her chest. With so many school shootings in the news, Cress sometimes had nightmares that one would show up outside her classroom.

But a familiar face—though an extremely unexpected one—was visible through the glass window on her door. Dumbfounded, she checked her watch. 11:10 am. Six minutes until the period ended. She pulled the door open.

"Thorne? What are you doing here?"

Thorne stepped into her classroom. He was well put together again, in navy slacks and a gray long-sleeved shirt. He smelled like his delicious musky cologne, but Cress tried not to think about that. Hardly the point at a time like this.

"You forgot to pack a lunch this morning," he said, producing her cloth lunchbox from behind his back. He lowered his voice. "I tried to include the healthy stuff you like."

"Oh…" She accepted the lunchbox with surprise. "That was…really thoughtful."

He revealed a bouquet of roses he'd kept hidden as well. "And I'm sorry about last night," he whispered.

Cress turned as red as the roses as her entire class went, "Ooooh!"

Only then did Thorne seem to notice the eleven- and twelve-year-olds that observed them. "Ah, good morning, class," he said officially.

"Miss Darnel has a crush!" someone called out.

Everyone burst into a fit of giggles.

"A crush?" Thorne's dimpled smile made an appearance. "Well, I hope so. I'm her—"

 _Oh no. Thorne—_

"—husband."

"You're married?!" Maria said.

Kelsey shrieked at Cress. "You got married and didn't tell us!?"

Cress walked the lunchbox and roses to her desk, using the bouquet to block how red her face was. Thorne stepped in front of the class and laughed. "It's none of your business if Miss Darnel got married, you nosy little students."

"Oh my gosh! Is that the bodyguard from Activity Night?"

This made Thorne burst into more laughter as Cress wanted to die.

"But she didn't change her _name_ ," someone said.

"Archaic traditions. A woman doesn't have to change her name to that of her husband's." Thorne waved a hand. "In fact, you can call me Mr. Darnel."

"That's enough, Thorne," Cress said quietly.

"Thorne? What kind of name is that?" Kelsey not-whispered to Maria.

"Why, it's an excellent one," Thorne said, eating up the attention.

Cress pulled Thorne to the side. "Class, you have three more minutes before the bell. Put away your supplies and make sure you label your parts while I speak with my, uh, _husband_ for a minute."

She dragged Thorne back to the door and huddled in so no one would hear her. "What are you doing," she hissed. "You can't just barge in here with flowers and embarrass me like that in front of my class."

His face fell. "Oh. Cress—"

"After the stunt you pulled yesterday—"

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I was trying to do what a real husband would do."

That stopped her short. "But…why?"

He rubbed his neck. "Because even if this is somewhat of a sham, we're still in this together. It's a partnership, isn't it? And I respect you. Yeah—that's what I wanted to say. I disrespected you and your space yesterday. I was mad about—well, something else, and I didn't mean to make you mad in the progress. I didn't come here for show." He waved at the class. "Okay, maybe I hammed it up a little, but can you blame me? What husband wouldn't strut in here, proud to claim you as his?"

Cress's eyes widened.

"But really, I was worried about you when I woke up this morning. And bringing you your lunch—and some apology flowers—is the least I could do. I cleaned up the apartment," he added.

Intense blue eyes searched her.

"You outed me in front of my students. Now they'll know I got divorced. Everyone will think I'm a loser."

He rocked back on his heels. "Shit. I didn't think about that."

"No, you didn't think."

The bell rang.

Cress's students streamed out of the classroom, pushing the two of them to the side. "No running!" she called after them.

"I really screwed up everything, didn't I?" Thorne shoved his hands in his pockets. "You want me out of the apartment for a few days? I'm sure I can stay with Kai for a bit, if the man ever answers his phone again—"

Cress placed her fingertips against his mouth. "I'm sorry too. I was caught off guard by the gambling, and then you showing up here. I want to trust you, that's all. I don't like surprises, usually—at least not ones where I'm put on the spot."

He took her fingers into his hand. "Noted." He kissed her knuckles.

Cress's breath caught in her throat. "W-Why did you do that?"

He dropped her hand immediately. "Uh, I don't know. In case anyone saw us, I guess."

She took a step back. "Good, perfect."

"I mean the principal already knows we're married. And your students now." He cringed. "Sometimes I am really an idiot, huh?"

"Sometimes." A warm flush had crept up her neck.

"So do you want some space?"

Some space sounded nice. But… "Probably not a good idea, in case the marriage inspector person comes along."

"Oh, on behalf of Judge Blackburn? I've been thinking about that. Married people don't spend every second with each other. I mean, they could come by while you're at work. Or on a business trip. Or—"

He had a point. "I don't mind if you're at the apartment," she said, finding it was true. "But it was nice to see my girls yesterday—without you. I mean, just girl time was nice."

"I get that. I'm pissed Kai is too busy for me. I see your friends more than my own, thanks to this charity date auction nonsense."

"And I've barely seen my friends at all. Though Cinder and I did kick Kai out when Iko came over."

"So he was there?"

"Yes, it seems our matchmaking texts worked a little too well. Especially for him."

"Well, hooray for him." He sounded bitter.

"How about this…" Cress said as her next class began shuffling in. "I'll talk to Cinder and the girls about having a girls' night. Hopefully Kai will understand that he's not invited and give them a break from each other too. Maybe you can organize something with Ze'ev and Jacin as well. I know they're not really your friends, but they could be? And that way, Scarlet and Winter will come to my girls' night too?"

Thorne grimaced. "A meeting for all the derpy boyfriends."

Cress had to laugh. "I think only Kai is derpy. Well, and Jacin."

"Ze'ev was ready to crawl at Scarlet's feet," Thorne reminded her.

"I guess that just leaves you, the unhappily married man."

She said it as a joke, but Thorne grew thoughtful. "I'm not _unhappy_. Being married to you isn't as bad as I thought."

She nodded. "I get it. It's just not—"

"—what we wanted," he finished.

"Right."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Aces, being married is just as complicated as I thought it would be."

"Miss Darnel?"

Cress turned to see Elisabet waiting for her attention.

"I'll see you at home," she told Thorne. "Thanks for bringing my lunch."

"No problem." He bent like he was going to give her a hug, seemed to think better of it, and turned on his heels.

"Who was that?" Elisabet asked.

Cress shook her head at her nosy student. "What's up, Elisabet?"

* * *

"Do we need milk?" Thorne asked.

"Yes," Cress said, "but from the natural aisle. Oat milk."

"Oat milk?" Thorne shuddered. "I'm not drinking that." He reached into the freezer and dropped a gallon of 2% into their shopping cart.

"I like oat milk," Cress said, but she didn't really mind if Thorne got something else. She was still getting used to sharing her food with him. Coming home to a sometimes-empty fridge, if Thorne forgot to shop or spontaneously had a binge-eating day, was rough. But he'd asked her if she wanted to go to a Whole Foods today to stock up a bit on some of the things that Cress liked.

Which was uncharacteristically considerate of him.

Everything about him today was uncharacteristically considerate.

He'd been all-sunshine since she'd gotten home from work. She had a sneaking suspicion he was on his best behavior so that she wouldn't remember how mad she'd been last night. Which meant they had to stop avoiding the topic.

"So, what happened yesterday?" she said, pretending to inspect some fancy goat cheese.

He leaned against the shopping cart. "With gambling?"

"No, before. You said you were upset about something else?"

"Oh, yeah." He came to stand by her. Inspected the same goat cheese. "Bad job interview."

"Oh no!"

He let out such a long breath that Cress worried he might never inhale again. She wrapped her arm around his waist. "I'm so sorry."

He seemed startled by her closeness, but his back slowly relaxed and his own arm came to rest lightly over her shoulders. "Thanks."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. I guess I just think—"

"Carswell?" A high-pitched voice made Thorne's spine stiffen.

"Carswell! My darling!"

Thorne pulled Cress so close to him they could have kissed. " _Aces and spades and stars,"_ he hissed. _"That's my mom! Give me your ring!"_

"What?"

" _Give me your ring_." He yanked it off her finger. He took his off too and slid both of them in his pocket. " _I'll give you anything you want if you just go along with whatever I say. No marriage, no divorce."_

He whirled them both around, his arm still slung over Cress's shoulders.

Cress now faced a slender woman with a feminine version of Thorne's handsome face, and a surly man with a mustache.

"Mom! What a surprise!" Thorne's voice was overly false and he was holding Cress so tightly his arm was squishing her neck.

His mother held out her arms but Thorne kept Cress pressed to him. He didn't address his father. In fact, neither of them even attempted to make eye contact.

His mom's smile faltered. "And who's this?" She gestured at Cress.

"This is Cress. She's my girlfriend. Cress, my mom."

Cress gave a feeble wave.

"Girlfriend! Wow! Carswell, how wonderful! It's lovely to meet you, Cress."

"Thank you," she said, doing her best to send adoring looks at Thorne. "What a wonderful son you've raised. I couldn't be happier."

Thorne's dad harrumphed.

"How long it's been," said his mom. "How cruel you are to never send a text or come for a visit."

Thorne gave a tight-lipped smile. "That's funny. I'm pretty sure you and dad were the ones who disowned me."

Cress blinked hard, keeping her smile plastered to her face as the cold air from the cheese display seemed to overtake the entire room.

"That was years ago," said his mom. "You just had to get all that rebellion out of your system. Now that you're out of prison, well…I'd say all is forgiven. Isn't that right, Kingsley?"

Thorne's dad eyed Carswell waspishly. "Carswell."

Cress felt Thorne stiffen once more. "Sir."

"We were—" his mom started.

"Cress and I really have to go," Thorne said. "We're going to a party tonight to celebrate new jobs and promotions. You know how it is."

"Promotions?" Thorne's mom said.

"Oh, yes. Cress just got a promotion at work and I just got a new job at a tech startup company. So much money we're moving into a new apartment soon. A bigger one. In the suburbs."

"You _live_ together?"

Thorne was already dragging Cress away by her hand. "Obviously, Mom. Beautiful, smart girls like Cress come around once in a lifetime. You can't just let them slip away."

Cress tried to wave over her shoulder. "It was nice to meet you!"

Thorne speed-walked both of them to the cashier, left their shopping cart stranded with all their groceries still inside, and pulled her out of Whole Foods without buying anything, still holding her hand.

"Thorne, what just happened? We need groceries!"

"Cress, I know I said I'd do anything you want, and that's true, but please, can we just get out of here? Let's go to a bar. Drink nachos. I mean, eat nachos. Drink beer. Lots of it. Let's get absolutely wasted."

Cress tugged on his hand. "Wait. Thorne!"

He was sweating. He wiped his brow.

She squeezed his hand. "That went okay. You don't need to get wasted. They think you're doing really well! I'm sure they bought it."

"Right, I'm getting wasted to celebrate them buying it. If they did. No, they did. My mom's face was priceless. Did you see her face? But why would they be here, in our neighborhood? They only associate with the L.A. elite. Wow, is this neighborhood elite now? I can't live here if it is. I cannot."

Cress reached up to grab his face and held it between her palms. "Slow down. Let's talk about this."

"Okay, but only over nachos and beer."

"Okay," she said. "Except we promised we wouldn't get wasted around each other."

He ran a hand over his mouth, like this hadn't occurred to him and disturbed him deeply. "Right." His eyes trailed over her form. "We wouldn't want that."

"Nope."

"Because we're attracted to each other."

Cress's jaw dropped open.

"I mean, we find each other attractive. You know. Whilst drunk."

"Whilst?"

"Can we just get some beer? Please, Cress?"

She crossed her arms. "You're asking for a lot of favors today after the stunt you pulled yesterday."

"And this is why I'll give you whatever you want, like I said inside. I meant it. Just not the money. I can't give you the money because I need the money. I have no job. I can't get a job. What do you want? Besides the money?"

Cress rolled her eyes, but something pinched her heart at his words. She'd never seen him like this.

"You're hopeless."

"Does that mean you'll come have a beer with me?"

"I really just want nachos," she admitted.

He picked her up and twirled her, then set her down just as quickly. "Okay, no. First goal: getting out of here before my parents find us again. Twirling later." He grabbed her hand again. "Come on."

* * *

 _Some of the dialogue from Thorne's interaction with his parents is taken from Wires & Nerve, Vol. I. Credit to Marissa Meyer. I just thought it would be fun to insert Cress, instead of Iko, into that dialogue._

 _The line about the 2% milk is a nod to my one of my first fanfics, Unexpected, where Thorne and Cress spend a chapter being too domestic for Thorne's liking. I amuse myself sometimes. LLC!Thorne will always be a 2% milk drinker. :)  
_


	17. Chapter 17

The nachos were good.

Amazing, really.

The beer Thorne washed it down with was even better.

He was slowly relaxing.

Cress, not so much. She sat across from him, her chips and guac barely touched in front of her. She kept wringing her hands and looking at him like he might jump out at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I should be the one asking you that. You're the one who dragged me to this random bar in the middle of nowhere."

"I couldn't exactly take you to our corner Mexican eatery by Whole Foods. What if my parents had decided to go there after shopping? Our neighborhood isn't safe anymore."

"Indeed." Cress picked up a chip and broke it in half. "About that..."

"You know?" Thorne took a long swig of his drink. "I'm cured. All I needed was a little something in my belly to forget I ever saw their faces."

Cress crossed her arms. "No, you're not getting off that easily. Tell me what happened with your family. You said they disowned you when you went to prison?"

In that moment, Thorne understood why Cress was a good teacher. Half the time teaching wasn't even about whether kids misunderstood math problems or did their homework. It was talking to kids about their day-to-day problems and helping them find solutions. Her tone was stern, but her face was welcoming. The kids were probably all too eager to talk to their cute technology teacher.

But he wasn't her student.

She couldn't solve his problems any more than he could solve hers.

"I'll tell you about them if you eat something," he conceded. "We were planning on making dinner at home anyway."

"We were planning on making dinner because it's expensive to eat out all the time."

"Darling, it's my treat. You can deduct this meal from my twenty-five grand, all right? I know you're always starving at the end of a workday. I haven't been living with you for nothing." He called for the waiter and ordered another round of drinks, even if Cress had yet to start on her first beer. He got them water as well, since Cress was a total lightweight. She ordered fish tacos, at least.

Had he ever noticed just how thin Cress was?

She was tiny.

Good tiny, he decided, as he watched her hesitantly take the first sip of her beer. She still had some curves he could work with — aces, what was he thinking? He was not going to be working with anything on Cress's body.

A sudden flashback to their night in Vegas made his eyes dip to her collarbone. Cress loved getting kissed there. It was a good spot. Not as exciting as some other spots, granted, but he was all about making women feel good. He'd spent _a lot_ of time there. Had she had a hickey on her collarbone the following day? He hadn't stuck around to find out, had he? That had been a bonehead move. And why could he remember where he'd kissed her but not that he'd gotten _married_ to her?

Dr. Fallow would surely have a thousand thoughts on that.

"Thorne?"

He shook his head. Damn one-track mind.

"Right," he started. Now he wanted to share his past even less. But Cress still had those warm, open blue eyes fixed on him. And he'd promised to discuss it, after all. He took a deep breath. "Remember Jacin?" Of course she remembered Jacin. Winter was one of her best friends. "Our fathers are both in the military and had specific paths laid out for us. Jacin took that path and I didn't. Nothing against the guy, though I can't say we got along well as kids, but his life definitely turned out better than mine, wouldn't you say? Every parent's dream? Every woman's?"

Cress looked down at her plate. "I would never say anything bad about Jacin, but I don't think he's _every_ woman's dream. He's a bit…possessive?" Her cheeks turned pink. "I think he's what Winter needs. I have no idea what his parents think about him. You shouldn't compare yourself."

"Ah, but my parents did." Every big social function on the base, he could still recall his father's lectures, his mother's need for attention. His father, just like Jacin's, had risen up in the ranks quickly. With his mother's socialite status, the only thing missing was the son they could show off like a new car. Thorne didn't really care for those events, though, as much as it threatened to make his mother internally combust. Jacin was shiny enough, and Thorne had no problem getting attention out of the spotlight from the daughters at those events — to _their_ mothers' dismays.

Cress didn't need to know those details.

He waved his hand. "It wasn't truly about Jacin. Nor Kai, though they compared me to him too—even though I met him later and he came from a different kind of wealth. If I'm honest, my parents disowned me long before I went to prison. Prison just solidified all of their hatred."

"Oh, Thorne." Cress reached across the table to take his hand. "If your parents hated you, they wouldn't have bothered to say hello. They would've just kept walking."

He wasn't so sure, though the thought was mildly comforting. Which disturbed him. He hadn't seen his parents in over a year. That was intentional. If they didn't want him back then, they didn't deserve him now.

Cress squeezed his hand. "I think it's normal that we want to impress our parents. Even if they're not the greatest parents. I have some experience with that."

Thorne was busy looking at her hand. She had painted her fingers a turquoise something-or-other, and it brought out the blue in her eyes, now that he thought about it. But if he _really_ thought about it, he could remember red manicured nails running up and down his chest. Her fingers ghosting over his back. Afterward. It must have been afterward, because he remembered them practically ripping off their clothes in the hallway, before they had even gotten back to his room.

Had they cuddled? He wasn't a big cuddler. Not with one-night stands. He remembered lying there, though, talking in the dark, under the covers. Was that when they'd decided to get married? Why couldn't he remember _that_? Aces, had they cuddled more than once? They'd certainly gone at it a few times. Or was he mixing things up? Perhaps their frenzied passion turned into slow, long…

He cleared his throat. "Your parents weren't the best either?"

She withdrew her hand. Interestingly enough, his question made Cress down half her beer in one long gulp.

"Sorry. They passed. I forgot—"

"No," she said quickly. "It's a hard topic. I never knew my mom, so I can't say much about her. Though I do know she's deceased as well. I grew up in foster care for a little while until my father came back into my life. But he died quickly of an illness. I was sad about it, but probably not sad enough." She downed the rest of her beer and signaled for another from the waiter. "I don't think he was a very nice man, in the end. Smart, though. Very smart."

"Probably where you get it," Thorne said.

She didn't seem to hear his compliment. "But selfish. Misguided. And now…" She spread her arms wide, as if to say, _who knows_. "He's dead and I still somehow have a million questions that I should have asked him when he was alive and never did."

"That's not your fault, Cress. If you were in foster care, if he came back, he abandoned you before?"

"There are other ways to abandon people," she said, casting a knowing look in his direction. "Emotional abandonment, not just physical, can take quite the toll on a child."

Sharp as a tack, this one. He shrugged anyway.

"Can't really complain. My parents were wealthy. I was kind of an Army brat. There wasn't much I couldn't have."

But Cress stayed silent, beginning to nibble on her fish tacos. She kept her concentration on him though, which made him take a swig of his own drink. And another.

"All right," he said, pulling on his collar. "Enough with the interrogation. If you must know, I wanted to do things my own way. Make my own wealth. Get out from under their snotty worldview. I was going to show them. But sometimes plans don't unfold the way you expect."

That was putting it lightly. Prison had never been a part of his plan.

Obviously.

"If that isn't the truest thing I've ever heard." Cress drank more. "Just look at us. Married against our will. Who could have planned that?"

 _Against our will._ Uneasiness crept into his stomach.

"Say, Cress. I've been replaying that night over and over again. I can remember most of it until we get to the hotel room." Another unwelcome flash of impassioned cries assaulted his memory. He gripped his beer tighter. "I know based on my record that you probably think I'm used to taking what I want. In some ways, that's true. But I've never been that way with women. Sure, I flirt with attractive women." He tipped his beer in her direction. She knew he was attracted to her. No sense in hiding it. "But I've never, you know…taken anything…unwanted. From women. They want me as much as I want them. But since I can't remember what happened in the hotel room, not exactly, it's just. I don't know." He didn't want to look at her, but he had to see what was in her eyes. "You don't feel like I… you know… pressured you, do you?"

There wasn't any anger on her face. Only confusion. "To marry you?"

He laughed darkly. "No, no. To spend the night with me."

"Oh!" She blushed. Despite his current state of squirming, he couldn't get over the fact that she looked real cute whenever she turned red. "No, from what I remember, we were both consenting adults. The marriage part is very hazy but some other details have come back to me."

He was both exceptionally relieved and intrigued at the same time. "Details?"

Her blush deepened, but, to her credit, she maintained eye contact. "About some of the things that happened before we got married. That and the state of the room the following day present a pretty clear picture. Well! Not _clear_. Not _that_ clear. But, needless to say"—she waved her wedding ring at him—"it's clear that we both enjoyed ourselves. So much that we chose to get married. Which," Cress rushed to say, folding her hands together, "I would like to clarify."

"You remember why we got married?"

"No, those details didn't come back." She leaned forward as if she had a big secret, so he leaned forward too. "But, you made some comments about me being a romantic. I just wanted you to know that, first of all, I've never tried to marry anyone else, especially after sleeping with them. And second, you're not the first person that I've slept with who was good in bed."

Thorne arched an eyebrow. "I didn't assume either of those things. Though, to the latter—a man can dream. Eh?" He grinned. She thought he was good in bed. That was always an ego boost.

"Good." Cress sat back in her chair. "Because I don't want you thinking that I'm the type of person to get married to the first guy who…you know."

He couldn't resist. "Am I the first guy who"—he grinned—"you know?"

"No!"

Her face was scarlet. He had to laugh.

"Sex is important to me but it's not the main thing I look for in a relationship. So it's not a reason I would get married."

"I'm not quite sure how I would come to that conclusion." But aces, they could keep talking about sex. It was a good topic. Much easier than his parents.

"I thought you might come to that conclusion," she said, indignant, "because you keep saying how romantic I am. And you've probably turned on my e-reader by now and see my collection of romance novels."

He had not, but he definitely intended to now.

"Of course there are _stories_ that I enjoy where a couple meets for one weekend, has amazing sex, and then gets married. That's not me. It's most important to me how a man treats me. And, for the record, I am the least likely of all my friends have a one night stand."

"Hey. I'm not judging. I have one night stands." All the time, he almost added, then thought better of it. He hadn't hooked up with anyone since he'd gotten married to Cress, mostly out of respect, but also out of fear that Judge Blackburn would somehow find out and his ass would land back in jail.

"Well." She shook out her hands, like she was getting rid of dirt. "I just wanted you to know."

"All right." He sat back too. Took another swig. "If were being honest, from what I remember, that was one of my better one night stands."

Cress's eyes darted around the room. "I don't think we should be talking about this topic in public."

"You brought it up, darling."

"Let's get back to your parents."

No. He didn't want to get back to that at all.

"I need another drink for that."

* * *

"I already told you, Thorne," Cress said an hour later. They were sharing a brownie explosion something or another with a lot of whipped cream. "You have a lot of strengths. I'm not just saying that. Winter said you're doing a great job working with the charity date auction committee."

Thorne shoved a large helping of chocolate in his mouth, thinking. Well. That was a compliment he hadn't expected. He hated those meetings, mostly because they were catty and gossipy. He knew more than he cared to know about who was dating who and even more frequently, who had dumped who.

He never thought he'd know so much about the body proportions of other single men or how likely they were (on a scale of zero to stalkable) to be auctioned off for a date. But considering that so many women within the network of the committee members had recently been dumped, he wouldn't be surprised if many of them showed up to bid themselves—just to have a little eye candy on their arms. Women liked that sort of thing, he'd learned.

He had often been the eye candy himself.

He wondered what kind of man Cress would pick if she were to participate in the auction. She was attracted to him, he knew that much, so physically he could guess a little about her tastes. If he was part of the auction, and she didn't know anything about his background or personality, would she bid on him? He wasn't many things, but he was a good date. He'd proven that to himself—and many women—time and time again.

It was a ridiculous thought. Out of nowhere, really. It didn't matter what kind of date Cress would want.

This charity was for cancer research, so they wanted big spenders, anyway. He shuddered. It was the type of event his mother would have shown up at if she were single.

He shook out his hands like they were dirty. _Gross gross gross_.

"You don't agree?" Cress said, mistaking his body language for a response to her comments.

He didn't want to talk about this anymore, but Cress had been open about her past. He should open up a little too. They were in this bar because of him, after all.

"I'm not saying I'm bad at being on that committee. But I don't like having other people boss me around, like the way Winter bosses me around. I want to work for myself someday. You can't rely on other people. I knew that already when I was growing up. And in prison, especially, you have to look out for yourself. Just yourself, Cress. That's what I've always done and one day I'll have that job too."

 _If he could figure out how to get a job that wasn't just serving fast food, first._

"But you're working on a team," Cress insisted. "Maybe you're not used to it, but it's an important skill for life. And one which you seem to excel at."

"I can work with people if it serves my purposes. I know how to get most people to see my point of view." Emphasis on _most_. "It's not hard, once you learn how to read people."

Cress shrugged. Her cheeks were rosy now, but it was the effect of the alcohol.

"Do you ever bother to read yourself?"

He startled. "Meaning?"

"I don't know. Do you like yourself?" She waved him off like she didn't expect an answer. "I like myself, I think. I'm not very confident, but at the end of the day I'm usually happy with my choices. But it gets boring sometimes. I have my girlfriends, I have a job that I love but also stresses me out, I rent an apartment…" She licked something off her finger, which was _extremely_ distracting. "Am I living the life that I really, truly want? I don't know. I guess I expected more…just more. Adventure, maybe?"

"That makes sense. I remember you talking about us having an epic romance before we got married. I mean, the drunk Vegas version of us," he clarified quickly.

Cress gazed somewhere over his shoulder, almost dreamy. It wasn't an unfamiliar look on her, now that he'd spent so much time around her. Her head was in the clouds half the time.

"Love, yeah. I want that. I want all of it, the best of it, the stuff you read about in books."

He chuckled.

"But I also want to travel. Now that I'm not bogged down by my own family, what's stopping me? This fake-real marriage thing, of course. The first thing I wanted to do when I won the money was go on a vacation. I wanted to buy an Around the World Ticket and stop everywhere." She shook her head. "They probably don't even have those tickets anymore. But then I thought about it," she said, pointing a finger at him, "and I have only been thinking about practical things since then. I think I'm a little obsessed with security. I'm scared to lose my job. I'm scared to leave my friends. I'm scared to go off by myself on an adventure. Maybe that's my problem, Thorne. I'm too scared to look at the life I want to live."

He considered her. Cress was nervous about a lot of things, in the way that people were nervous about getting their carpets wet after being outside in the rain. Or in the way that most people were nervous about having a convicted criminal sharing their home. But he didn't peg her for someone who was scared. He'd seen her that night in Vegas. The Cress who didn't need someone to accompany her outside, who called him on his bullshit, who knew how to bluff in Royals perhaps better than even he did.

"What about you?" she said, blinking her pretty blue eyes at him. "Tell me something real."

"Real?" He thought hard. Then remembered her question about whether he liked himself. "I'm not exactly where I want to be, either. And every time I have a job interview where someone immediately rejects me because I'm a felon, it reminds me that I'm even _further_ away from where I want to be. My parents… Seeing them tells me I'll never get there." Okay, so maybe he was opening up a little _too_ much. "But they're wrong," he added with a carefree smile. "I make my own destiny."

Cress leaned back. "I like that."

* * *

"So how do you really know Cinder?" Cress asked. "I know it's from prison, but how? Aren't men and women segregated?"

Thorne wagged a finger. "Uh-uh. I'm not drunk enough to spill her secrets." But he was getting there. "I told you to ask _her_."

Cress shoved her cocktail at him. "Then drink this and confide in me."

Thorne pushed her wimpy drink back at her. Even if Cinder was being a jerk about this whole thing, he had some lines he didn't like crossing. Cinder and him had been friends one time, and that meant something to him, even now. Talking about those days made him feel like he was betraying her trust.

It was absurd, but he'd been really happy to see his old friend show up in Vegas after all these years.

"I'm sad she doesn't like me anymore," he admitted.

" _You were together_?!" Cress practically shrieked. She burst into hysterical laughter that mingled with hiccups. The alcohol had definitely caught up with her. "I married my best friend's ex?"

" _No,_ " he said with an eye roll. "Aces. I meant as a friend. I'm sure she had a crush on me at some point, though. Everyone did back then. What can I say? I'm a good-looking, charming guy."

"Even in a prison jumpsuit?"

"Cress. Especially then."

A line formed between her forehead. "Well, if you won't tell me how you and Cinder know each other, will you tell me why she thinks you're such a player?"

Thorne pretended to tick off a checklist in the air. "Good-looking guy… Popular with the ladies… Not afraid to kiss said ladies… Broke a lot of hearts… Smooth talker, to boot. Voilà!"

"Are you sure she didn't have a crush on you or something? For real."

"I can't say for certain." As much as he liked to imagine that everyone had a crush on him, Cinder had always somehow been immune to his charms. Maybe it was why they had become good friends. No romantic tension to get in the way, just his never-ending teasing.

Cress sipped on her pink drink through her straw. Some of the light had left her eyes since she stopped laughing. "I just can't figure out why she wouldn't tell me about being in prison. _Obviously_ it has something to do with you." She gestured at him like he was Santa Claus or something.

He snatched her drink away and took a sip himself, so she'd be forced to drink some of her water. Plus, wimpy or not, he was still waiting on his refill.

"I think when people try to forget parts of their pasts, having a reminder of it show up in the flesh is jarring. I think"—he _hoped_ —"that's why Cinder keeps avoiding the topic. Whenever she sees me, she has to remember the past she's tried to forget."

Cress leaned forward, pulling the straw away from his lips and inserting it into her own mouth. She sucked on it a long time as she eyed him over, and he humored her little staring contest for until his entire body was humming. He stole the straw back and looked anywhere but her puckered lips.

"So what you're saying is," Cress said, eyes piercing him, "Cinder seeing you was a lot like you seeing your parents."

"I can only speculate."

* * *

"You know what we never had?" Cress asked.

"Tell me."

"A first dance." She looked at the space by the band and sighed dreamily. "Maybe we did…but if we don't remember, does it count?"

Thorne eyed the makeshift dance floor warily. Two couples were up there. They looked liked fools dancing, but the women hanging off their men certainly looked happy.

"It counts," he said, but he had to scrunch up his face to think about it. Did it? "We're married and don't remember."

Cress was still staring at the dance floor. "What if we did our first dance now?"

"Now?" He didn't think that was a good idea, but he couldn't remember why, exactly. Dancing didn't sound terrible. He and Cress had danced in Vegas. That had been _extremely_ fun.

Dancing meant touching each other.

And that was excellent.

The second he stood and clasped Cress's hand, feeling the warmth of her skin against his, he knew he'd made the right choice.

"It's a fast song," Cress said. "I don't know the steps!"

They both laughed as they fumbled around trying to catch the beat. They twirled and spun and were both dizzy by the time the song ended.

His hands stayed on her waist as the band slowed down the pace with the next tune.

"This one is a slow dance," he said, because he didn't want to let go. And he wanted Cress to keep smiling like that. "This one surely counts."

"We should get shots, like we did in Vegas! _Then_ it counts."

He pulled her hands up around his neck. "First the dance, then the shots."

Cress leaned her head into his chest. "I like when you hold me," she murmured.

* * *

Thorne slapped the table. "Of course you should use the money to go to Paris! Why not?"

Cress giggled into her drink. "I should buy an apartment right in front of the Eiffel Tower. Then I can eat croissants every day with the best view."

"The best view? No way!"

"Way!"

"Fine. You keep your Eiffel Tower view, and when I have my own plane, I'll pick you up sometime and fly you around the world. But I'll keep you up in the air, so you can see what a real view is like."

Cress gasped. "You could see the Eiffel tower from the plane too!"

"Right?!"

"What if we went right now?"

Thorne cocked his head. He would love to go to Paris with Cress. She was so fun, so cute, and she kept looking at him like she could devour him. Maybe they could have croissants together in bed while they looked at the Eiffel Tower.

The thought was met with eagerness, which disturbed him, but he wasn't truly sure why.

Oh.

"We don't have the money yet. _The marriage_ ," he whispered scandalously. "They're watching us."

Cress looked around like Judge Blackburn's spies were already in the room. There might as well have been. The bartender kept looking at them every time they ordered more drinks and the waiter had come by countless times just to "check" how they were doing.

"We should go home," she whispered back. "Then they can't see us."

"That's a good idea."

Cress threw back her head and laughed. Thorne laughed too.

* * *

"I have an idea for something we can do at home." Cress kissed her way up his neck in the back of the cab, her hand smooth on his leg.

He groaned and dug his fingers into her hair. "Me too."

His entire body was alight with want. Cress was so hot, why had he not told her that this entire evening? His game was completely off.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" He returned her ministrations and Cress let out a happy moan. He wanted her on his lap, but the cab driver had barked at them the first time they'd attempted that.

"You too," she said. "I was staring at you all night."

He smirked. "I noticed."

That was enough talking.

He held her face in his hands, stared at her beautiful eyes one last second—he'd been staring at her all night too—then kissed her.

* * *

They must have given the cab driver the wrong address, because this wasn't their apartment building. It wasn't even their street.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"This way," Cress said, giggling.

They walked up the street together, his arm around her shoulder and Cress leaning heavily against him. It felt good, having her body heat mingle with his.

It felt good, making out with her.

Aces, it felt good talking to her. Cress _got_ him. She _believed_ in him. Thought he had _strengths_.

Everything about hanging out with Cress was good. And based on how it had gone in the cab, things were about to get even better.

* * *

The street took for _ever_. How much uphill walking did a guy have to do before he could finally make love to his wife?

He blinked hard. No. Cress wasn't his wife.

Not really.

 _Legally_ , a voice in his head said.

 _Make love?_ said another.

 _You both want this._ Yet another voice. _It's been_ ages _._

But this never-ending hill was slowly sobering him up. Just a bit. All the cars driving by them still blurred together, but his senses were untangling from the unquenchable lust that was coursing through him. He slowed his walk.

"Just a few more steps," Cress said. "Then around the corner, to a house. And another house. And another…"

Well, if she could figure out where they were, what she really that drunk?

He took her hand and kept them moving. "You think this is a good idea?" He squeezed her hand. "Sleeping together?"

"We're not sleeping together yet," she said with a giggle. "That's why we're going to the _house_."

"Right. But—"

"Come _on_ , Thorne."

* * *

Cress led him to her bedroom, her hand in his.

He was never allowed in here, and it felt like an immense privilege.

Cress _wanting_ him was an immense privilege.

The second she pulled him into her room, her lips were on his, her arms were around his neck, and her legs were tangled up with his. Every part of him was reacting instinctively, his body responding to her with equal excitement.

He _did_ want this.

Fuck.

He wanted Cress. His _wife_.

But not like this.

"Cress, wait." He untangled them and led her to the bed, but she thought he was just moving things along. She attempted to pull him into the bed with her by his shirt. Which she'd already managed to untuck while plastering him to the bedroom door.

"Hang tight for a few minutes," he said. "I'll be back."

He left the bedroom as quickly as possible, ignoring her whine. He went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on this face. She was drunk. He was mostly drunk.

The last time they'd done this, it had ended badly.

He didn't want to do that to her.

To _them_.

He'd felt something tonight, with her, and he thought she felt it too. They should explore that connection. His body screamed at him to run back into that room right now and get on with it. Particularly the exploring. There was an exceptionally attractive blonde just waiting to remind him about all the memories they'd mostly forgotten.

Maybe it was just the alcohol. Their connection, their feelings—maybe it was _all_ the alcohol.

He stuck his entire face under the faucet. A cold shower would be better, but he was afraid if he turned it on, said blonde might try to join him.

Gah.

He sat on the edge of the bathtub and thought. About his parents. And prison. And every other damned thing he could think of that he loathed about himself.

It worked.

Fifteen minutes later, when he returned to her room with a glass of water and some Advil, Cress was already asleep. Back on his pullout bed in the living room, he didn't have the same success, tossing and turning instead for most of the night.


End file.
